Fall of the Cities_Branching Out

by Vance Huxley

  Harold bid Stu, and then Phillip, fare thee well, turning to face the mourners as the flames took hold. Nearly a hundred and fifty had gathered out here on the gardens or along the wall above them, a proper send-off. “Atoms reborn into grass.” Harold didn’t know if the girl club or the Coven had arranged everything, but everyone who’d been to defend the mart joined in the next line.

  “Fire and passion stilled at last.” Then more and more joined in each line until just as once before, even the children’s voices finished the farewell.

  “Clouds, of happy what might be’s

  Scattered showers of grief and tears

  Fading memories, not quite true,

  One day, my friend, this will be you.”

  Harold stayed out all night with the pyres, as did Roy, his three friends, and all of those who’d gone to the fight except Doll, Nathan and Finn. This time Orchard Close had no damage to repair, no visible evidence of the fight, so they stood vigil. Phillip’s parents were joined by their church group and others who knew the dead men until over sixty people watched the stacks finally collapse. Finn and Nathan came to stand for a while until Lenny and Patricia insisted they went back in, though Louie and Jeremy stayed. Through the night others brought hot drinks for the watchers or stood with them for a while.

  Soon after dawn, willing hands offered help with pulling out the charred timbers. Stu’s four comrades and Phillip’s parents collected the ashes, then carried them to the boundary. Phillip’s mum spread his ashes on the no-go zone, while Patty stepped up to claim the honours for Stu because the Army insisted on a woman.

  The rest of the day passed quietly again because of the funerals, the weather, and most probably because nobody knew if the gamble had kept the mart open. Harold apologised for him and Casper missing Daisy-story while watching the pyre. He helped Daisy to draw a love place picture for Stu and for Phillip with his gnome hat. They finished by drawing one with lots of fairies and unicorns watching over Doll in a hospital bed.

  Harold spent most of the rest of the day reloading what ammunition he had propellant for, because Orchard Close had nearly used up the lot. He cleaned more Orchard Close weapons, and stripped a few of the captured ones so they could soak. As usual, he found the work calming and in this instance the guards on the wall really did need the ammunition. He had time to assess what they’d gained, and he now had enough pistols to give every shooter two each and had doubled the shotguns up to fourteen. The looted ammunition would need reloading because it would be underpowered, but it would do in an emergency.

  Harold had promised a free clean for Caddi’s rifle at some time. He didn’t mind because Orchard Close gained thirty extra empties for the 303, and eleven extra unused rounds. He’d given Caddi nearly forty empties back, claiming the rest were in the rubble. As he worked, Harold wondered how he could prise more propellant out of the surrounding gangs, because they always seemed to have plenty. Eventually Harold went home to eat.

  * * *

  “You can stay home this evening.” Sharyn’s hands went onto her hips and Harold smiled just a little. “After Casper has finished Daisy-story you can park yourself on the settee and watch the news. I am not gnawing my knuckles all on my own again tonight.”

  “After I walk the walls, sis, I’ll come home like a good boy.” Harold threw on a warm jacket because winter had definitely arrived. The mid-November chill made sure he didn’t waste any time tonight and the guards would be pleased of the warm guardhouses. The guards didn’t actually stand on the walls, just wrapped up to walk them at irregular intervals or watched from firing slits.

  “Back already?”

  “Make your mind up where you want me. I thought we could have a cup of coffee first because it’s freezing out there.” Harold headed into the kitchen. “Stay there, I’ll spoil you.”

  “Make three cups since Casper doesn’t fancy gnawing his knuckles alone either.” Sharyn chuckled. “I asked him and no, he didn’t see much either.” Her voice sobered. “Emmy doesn’t want to talk.”

  “There were a lot of women and kids in that mob, and a lot of guns just firing into the crowd. Cripes Sharyn, the coffee is low.”

  “We all donated some last night for the pyre-watchers. I hope you’ve got spare coupons for more?” Sharyn sighed. “I have to sacrifice mine for drinking chocolate.” Then she laughed because although most went into Daisy’s breakfast cereal milk, Sharyn managed a drink once a week.

  A bang on the door heralded Emmy with Sooty, and Tammy in a carrycot. “I sat and watched on my own last night.” That didn’t need any more explanation. Harold went to make another coffee. By the time he’d done that, Casper had come downstairs and Sharyn had turned on the TV for the news. At least they didn’t have to wait long, as they all realised when the talking head spoke.

  “The animals and scum cannot understand simple facts. If they attack one mart in a city all the marts will close. Even if they succeed in capturing the mart, the RAF will ensure the attackers do not gain from their murderous and criminal actions.” A picture of the horde came on the screen as they began to stream out of the housing. “Despite this, over a thousand of the maniacs have attacked the very people who feed them, too many for the normal defences to stop. The mart guards are valiantly defending the store, desperate to save the food that keeps the innocent citizens alive.”

  “Desperate to keep themselves alive. That is our mart isn’t it Harold?” Sharyn frowned. “I’ve not been for ages. It looks different.”

  “The paint has faded, and that wide strip is where the houses were knocked down after the naughty girls visited.” Harold smiled at Emmy. “Caddi hated that, but yesterday the open space came in dead handy.” He eyed the screen. “The Baggies underestimated by a good bit, but a thousand seems high.”

  Sharyn frowned. “Where are you?” Onscreen the horde still pouring out of the derelict buildings had begun shooting at the mart.

  “Wait.” Casper pointed then sounded a bit uncertain. “Cripes Harold that could be a thousand, it’s a hell of a lot.”

  Onscreen a flickering line of light reached out from the Army post to tear into one flank of the mob. Some turned, shooting back while the main body closed on the fence around the mart. The guards in the towers nearest the gates and some of those on the roof died. As the first attackers closed in on the mesh fence the picture shifted, showing groups of people coming out of the derelict housing along the edge of the rubble.

  Casper laughed. “That’s our street cred gone.” The TV showed a clear view of the armoured vehicles, zooming in on the painting without any commentary. The view went back to the mob now pulling at the fence or climbing it. Pipe bombs started exploding in the mart yard, but the view kept returning to the Orchard Close vehicles. In between were shots of other gangs moving out of cover to take up their positions.

  “Others are now arriving but the authorities were not sure if they were more attackers, or had come to scavenge after the mart had been looted. The appearance of an armoured vehicle alarmed the Army, because the helicopters had not yet arrived.”

  “More crap because Caddi sent a messenger to tell them.”

  Sharyn waved a hand to shut Harold up. “Never mind that Harold. How did they get these pictures if there were no helicopters at the start?”

  The three others stared at Sharyn for a moment until Harold bit back a real Army curse. “Drones. The bastards have got at least one drone up.” He looked at the screen. “More than one. Here we go.”

  The picture showed puffs of smoke jetting from the armoured vehicles. Men began to fall on the side of the mob away from the mart, while a few others scattered or dived for cover. Meanwhile a section of mesh fence went down. The leaders surged through, many of them falling as the mart’s armoured car went from bursts to continuous fire. The camera view pulled back showing occasional shots from elsewhere around the arc of gangsters, though Harold’s group, the Barbies and the GOFS contributed almost all the rifle fire.

  “Thes
e local law-abiding citizens have rushed to help and are attempting to protect the mart. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the brave local citizens have opened fire. Between them and the Army, they are giving the mart guards time to bring up reinforcements and heavier weapons.”

  “They don’t need that. We warned them.” Casper put up a hand to Sharyn in apology. He mimed zipping his mouth shut.

  More of the attackers turned towards the Orchard Close vehicles, pointing or shooting, until a large section started forward. As the mob bulged outwards a shudder ran through the whole mass, while all around the perimeter spurts of smoke showed that more rifles had joined in. Even then they looked totally ineffectual against the sheer numbers attacking the mart.

  Onscreen the attackers running towards the Army post or still trying to tear a bigger hole in the fencing paused. Meanwhile the gangsters’ rifles kept firing until finally more of the mob turned to face them. In those few moments as the crowd eddied, uncertain, the attack stalled. The drone cameras panned around the arc of rifles, lingering on the armour and lettering again.

  “More of the local citizens have arrived, throwing themselves into the fray to help the mart guards and the Army. Maybe they will be enough, because the criminals and revolutionaries have been caught by surprise. The Royal Air Force and Army are already on the way if the situation can be contained long enough.”

  “They’re winding it up for the rest of the viewers.” Casper curled a lip in disgust. “We’re a bloody game show.”

  Sharyn tittered. “Yeah but guess who’s getting all the phone votes? Orchard Close!” She punched a hand up in the air.

  The section of the mob bulging towards the Orchard Close vehicles surged out across the rubble. Firearms along the front ranks jetted smoke towards the tiny truck and bus, overwhelming in comparison to the number firing back. Another section of the mob tried to break northwest, away from the battle bus towards the city and The Mansion. Even more turned and ran, retreating the way they had arrived. Those recoiled as the previously empty derelict buildings spat fire and smoke.

  “The valiant citizens have relieved the pressure on the mart, but the animals are still trying to kill the brave guards and soldiers. At least the forces of law and order now have a fighting chance. The RAF will be here soon, if the guards and Army can survive just a little longer. These brave citizens are buying that time with their lives.”

  The camera zoomed to show local gangsters, aka brave citizens, falling as the mob fired at them. The sheer volume of fire meant some of the pistol rounds found targets, as Harold knew by the noise of them hitting the armour. Casper sniggered. “Cripes, there’ll be a memorial to Caddi at this rate.”

  “As long as that creep Einstein isn’t killed and they put up a statue.” Sharyn mimed putting her fingers down her throat. “I might be tempted into graffiti at least.”

  “I might have been tempted to shoot him if I’d seen Einstein.” From Emmy’s tone of voice it would have been a stone certainty.

  “Only Wellington and Hawkins were there, and both survived. Ah, remind me about Wellington later.” Harold shook his head at the look, pointing at the screen. “Watch now, that later. Cripes, comparing the mob to our lot, the gangs, there might have been over a thousand.”

  The cameras zoomed in here and there as all the forces clashed, showing pipe bombs exploding as those retreating closed on the buildings now held by the Baggies and Trainspotters. The mob had few bombs left to throw in return but sheer numbers took the retreating mass into contact. Machetes flashed in the early afternoon sun.

  “These brave men are preventing the criminals and murderers from escaping justice. The Army are almost here and will apprehend any that are still trapped.”

  Onscreen the Murphies ran forward, shooting and then hacking into the side of those trying to force a way through the housing. Paddy really had launched his flank attack. The scene cut to a pair of Army lorries loaded with squaddies speeding along the bypass. The next shot of the mart showed the mob in the yard, either shooting up at the guards or trying to break in the mart doors. The burning armoured car retreated, breaking out through the fence onto the exclusion zone,.

  “The armoured car has withdrawn to prevent the scum capturing or destroying it, but continues to fight valiantly. Assistance and heavier weaponry has reached the mart guards at last.”

  Men ran across the mart roof to join the guards still firing into the mass. Explosions tore into the crowd in the yard. The reinforced guards on the roof threw more small objects and again explosions rippled across the space. Some of the reinforcements had automatics, but not Army rifles, the shorter versions previously issued to the police.

  Harold glanced at Emmy. “You said grenades and machine guns. Why the hell didn’t they use them before?”

  “The script, Harold.” Sharyn sneered. “Wouldn’t want to defeat them too easily, that’s not good TV. Worse still, whoever delayed them knew mart guards and squaddies would die.”

  The crowd in the mart yard retreated, targeted by the guards on the mart roof and more grenades. The crew of the armoured car extinguished the flames on their vehicle, but their weapon wouldn’t be needed now. On the bypass the two lorries spilled squaddies who quickly formed up and moved down the access roads, firing as they came. A short clip showed a part of the mob hitting the Ferdinands, with Caddi and the Geeks firing into the side of the mass before moving in with machetes.

  “Here the mob are killing the brave citizens as they try to escape, but others are throwing themselves into the fray, plugging the gap to save their friends and allies.”

  All four of them laughed briefly at Caddi or the Geeks being anyone’s friend. The TV screen returned to the Orchard Close vehicles as their section of mob came nearer, with a close-up of Patty launching a crossbow bolt before frantically rewinding. The editor timed the commentary to perfection.

  “Despite their brave attempt and the support of their neighbours, there are too many attackers for these brave men and women to stop. Let us hope their sacrifice will not be in vain, that they have saved the mart so their children will not starve this winter.”

  Moments later Harold knew the exact distance to the attackers - fifty yards. The sheer volume of smoke from the two vehicles and the protected gap between as everyone opened up with handguns surprised him. An uncharitable part of his mind wondered if there’d been a bit of CGI added to enhance the effect. The shudder that went through the attackers, and the way they fell or flinched away to split around the vehicles, didn’t need CGI. Nor did the flank attacks by the GOFS and Barbies, launched as the mob hesitated.

  “This is the difference between mindless animals and scum, bent on death and destruction, and the brave citizens. They have drawn the killers into a trap and are now driving them back towards the Army and justice.”

  Harold broke out laughing along with the rest. “Oh crap, that is priceless.” He took a breath. “The GOFS and Barbies are chasing them to kill as many as possible so they can loot the bodies later.”

  Though the next part, the killing of any wounded, wasn’t shown on the cameras. Those now concentrated on the RAF swooping in to destroy any attempt by the remnants of the mob to rally. The Army moved across the front of the mart and, aided by the mart guards, shot anyone showing any sign of resistance. Here and there small groups of women and children were herded up onto the bypass where they sat in long lines with their hands on their heads, but no men were captured. The cameras zoomed in among the housing where Baggie and Trainspotter dead mixed with the corpses, then switched to views of dead attackers mixed with what Harold knew were dead Murphies, Ferdinands, Hot Rods, Geeks and GOFS. Several views showed dead Barbies, all clearly female but without blonde wigs.

  “No large views now Harold. They wouldn’t want to show the brave citizens nicking underwear from a corpse.” Emmy’s bitter tones matched the mood of the others. The bastards had left their own people to die to make a better show for TV.

  “Nor are they s
howing any clear gang logos or someone had been busy erasing them.” Sharyn shook her head. “Now we know just why the news is always late. To the rest of the city a heroic sacrifice by ordinary citizens just saved the mart in the nick of time. No nasty gangsters involved.”

  “Those dead gangsters did save the mart even if the script has been tweaked.” Harold scowled. “Unfortunately the cameras also showed the General our armoured column.”

  Onscreen the car approached the mart with white flags flying and an Army officer met the deputation. The wounded gangsters were being carried to the bypass where real ambulances turned up to take them away. More wounded were taken up there as more ambulances arrived. Close-ups showed more dead locals, then zoomed down on the battle bus and truck. Phillip stared up with sightless eyes before someone covered him, and Stu curled up in the back of the truck as Lenny leaned over him before shaking his head. Bess helped Finn across to the van while he cradled his arm, and Nathan huddled over his hand. Emmy ran over, anguish clear on her face, while Jeremy limped to the transit, held up by Casper. The drone camera zoomed on Doll being carried from the bus to the van with red splashed over her front and kept zooming until her face, screwed up in pain, filled the screen.

  “That’s out of synch, wrong way round.”

  “Script Harold, shush.”

  A man in a suit came from the mart, talking to those in the gangster cars with white flags. The scene switched to a side view of the truck and bus showing the bullet scars that had pitted and scored the paintwork.

  “TesdaMart have recognised the sacrifice of these brave citizens and asked the government to let the marts stay open. Despite the deaths of soldiers and mart guards, and the damage to the mart, how could your government refuse? Thanks to these brave people, bloody but unbowed, battered but not broken, the marts will all stay open.”

  The view went back to Doll for long moments, though at least not the close-up of her face. The scene and commentary cut away to shoplifters being arrested elsewhere. The four of them stared at each other, until Sharyn smiled. “I should be very, very angry with the nasty, cold, calculating bastards, but I’m too happy. The mart stays open Harold.”