by Gavin Zanker
After trying a few keys, Leigh found the correct one and the lock clicked. She rattled the cell door open and ran up to Aiden, throwing her arms around his neck. He winced as she put pressure against his swollen face.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked. He felt her nod into his shoulder, filling him with relief and making the hairs on his arms stand on end.
She stepped back from the embrace and wiped her face. ‘Okay, what do I do next?’
‘Try the keys on my restraints. It’ll be one of the smaller ones.’
As she set to work, Hitch padded into the cell. He jumped up, putting his paws on Aiden’s lap and licking at him excitedly.
‘Hey boy,’ Aiden said with a smile, not even slightly annoyed about the dog saliva covering his face. ‘It’s good to see you both, though I have no idea how you managed to get down here.’
He felt his restraints release as Leigh found the right key. He climbed out of the chair rubbing his sore wrists. ‘Can we get out the way you came in?’ he asked as he reached down and patted Hitch, then put an arm around Leigh, squeezing her.
‘I don’t think so, you’re too big,’ Leigh said with a frown. ‘The vent was really tiny.’
‘All right, well you head back out that way and I’ll find my own way out then.’
‘Nuh uh,’ Leigh said, shaking her head. ‘We’re not leaving you again. We stick together.’
Aiden wanted to argue, but he was too exhausted. ‘Stay low and keep behind me then,’ he said. ‘If we’re lucky we might be able to dodge the guards.’
‘We took care of most of them,’ Leigh said with a smug look on her face. ‘Well, Grace did it really. But it was my idea. I went to see her after I saw you moved into the town hall. She agreed to help when I told her where they’d taken you. She put out an alert about a Ravager attack on the city which made all the police leave the town hall and run around like chickens. It’s misdirection, just like that coin trick the clown did.’ Leigh beamed as she spoke.
‘Clever,’ Aiden said. ‘I knew you’d do all right on your own.’
Leigh visibly swelled in the praise. ‘Here,’ she said, ‘Grace said to give you this.’
Aiden took the folded piece of paper and scanned it quickly.
‘Look after Leigh, she’s a brave one and will get herself into trouble. PS. If you make it out, you owe me. G.’
Aiden smirked and pocketed the note.
‘Don’t forget your pack,’ Leigh said, pointing to the bag she had carried through the vents. ‘I looked after it for you. I only went in it once, just to get food for Hitch. I figured you wouldn’t mind.’
Aiden unzipped one of the pockets and found the decoder right where he had left it. He scooped the pack up, the familiar weight feeling good on his shoulder. Then he moved to the guard’s desk, searching through the drawers until he found the plastic bag containing his weapons. His two knives were there, as well as his pistol, still with the home-made silencer attached. He had seen the guard on shift fiddling with it earlier and assumed the Dawnists must have handed over his belongings in the transfer. He checked the magazine but cursed when he saw the bullets had been taken.
‘You did well,’ he said, turning to Leigh and returning his weapons to their proper place. ‘Now let’s get out of here. Move when I do and be as quiet as you can.’
Aiden headed cautiously up the stairs with Leigh and Hitch following. As they reached the top, he heard rushed footsteps approaching and yanked Leigh down behind a nearby desk. Two uniformed officers ran past, their boots thudding over the carpeted floor. Once they were out of sight, Aiden grabbed Leigh’s hand and they rushed through corridors and ornate rooms in search of the exit.
He soon found the entrance hall, recognising the thick columns that rose up into the ceiling. He made for the open doors, but froze when he saw Blanc and the Mayor stood outside, arguing heatedly. Aiden ducked left and hid out of sight behind behind one of the columns.
‘What is it?’ Leigh hissed.
Aiden put his finger to his lips, straining to listen to the conversation outside. He took hold of Hitch’s collar to keep him still.
‘Pull your men back,’ Blanc said in a bored tone. ‘It’s clearly a false alarm.’
‘I don’t answer to you, my dear,’ the Mayor said, ‘though it does seem you are correct. I’ll inform the Captain to call his officers back. Hah, Ravagers pushing this far towards civilisation. What will people make up next?’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that,’ Blanc said. ‘I’ve had some dealings with them up north. Nothing serious, but they’re still around and they’re getting braver every day.’
‘Like I said, civilisation,’ the Mayor said dismissively. ‘It’s a chilly night out here, a man could catch a cold.’
‘Well, after you then,’ Blanc said, her tone venomous.
The heavy main doors closed, and footsteps passed by the columns. Once they receded away into the building, Aiden pulled Leigh up and made for the large doors, throwing them open.
He found himself looking at the back of Blanc’s head.
‘What now, Reinhold?’ she barked. She turned and her eyes widened as she saw Aiden. Without thinking, Aiden rammed his head forward, his forehead connecting with Blanc’s face and knocking her to the floor.
‘Run!’ Aiden hissed as he grabbed Leigh’s hand, and they sprinted away from the town hall into the darkness of the Oldtown market. Risking a look back, Aiden saw Blanc now recovered and on her feet. A flash of light exploded from her hand, sending a shower of bullets whizzing past his head. Aiden ducked low, and dodged into the nearest alleyway with Leigh.
‘Wait, where’s Hitch?’ Aiden said, frantically looking around for his dog.
Glancing back, he saw Hitch limping towards the alley. Aiden raced back for him, dropping to his knee and sliding across the stone ground as gunfire still peppered the air around him. He scooped Hitch up into his arms, clutching the animal to his chest. A scream of rage came from the direction of the town hall, but Aiden was already gone, weaving through empty alleyways with Leigh beside him as they disappeared into the night.
LEIGH WALKED BACK to the lorry, her shoulders stiff with tension. She looked around the redoubt to check nobody was watching her, then dropped down and crawled underneath the vehicle. She pulled herself over the rocky scree, coming alongside Aiden and Hitch. His face looked worse now, the swelling around his eyes still growing from whatever they had done to him in the cell.
‘What did you see?’ he asked, his voice quiet.
‘No change,’ she said, suppressing a cough from the choking smell of oil that saturated the gravel beneath her. ‘I saw a few of the officers heading back down to the city, but there are still lots of them at the gate.’
‘They must still be on alert, we’ll just have to wait,’ Aiden said, resting his forehead down on his hands. ‘How did you talk Grace into this anyway?’ he asked. ‘I wouldn’t have expected her to stick her neck out like this.’
‘I told you she fancies you,’ Leigh said. ‘After I saw you get taken to the town hall, I was hanging around Oldtown for a while wondering what to do. Then I heard her voice on the radio which gave me an idea, so me and Hitch ran to the radio station and told her what happened.’
‘And when she knew it was the Mayor’s doing, I bet she was only too happy to throw a wrench into the works.’
‘Exactly,’ Leigh said, beaming. ‘She was smiling the whole time she put out the broadcast.’
‘So how did you get inside the town hall?’
‘Orlen, that shopkeeper who sold us the music box. He’s a friend of Grace. She sent a runner to ask if he could help. In the panic after the alarm, me and him sneaked around the outside of the town hall where he took off one of the vent covers to let me get inside. After that it was just me and Hitch again, crawling through the vents. It took us forever to find the basement.’
‘You did well, Leigh.’ Aiden reached an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder which sent a thrill down
her spine. ‘It must have been scary being alone in the city like that.’
‘Pft, I was fine,’ Leigh said, sticking out her chin. ‘Besides, Hitch was there looking out for me.’
Leigh glanced at Hitch who was lying beside them, his muzzle pushed under Aiden’s arm. In their escape, Blanc had caught Hitch’s tail with a bullet, severing the majority of it. After they were clear of the town hall, Aiden had patched up the remaining stump as best he could with the supplies in his pack, but Hitch was still in a lot of pain and it made her feel wretched.
‘Will he be all right?’ she asked. ‘Is there anything I can do?’
‘Hitch will be fine, won’t you, boy?’ Aiden said, patting the dog’s flank softly. ‘He’s tougher than I am.’
They fell silent as footsteps approached. Leigh held her breath as she watched the boots stop in front of the lorry. A light flared up in the darkness, and a spent match hit the floor. Then the person moved away causing Leigh to sigh in relief.
‘So what now?’ she asked, dropping her chin onto her hands.
‘We need to get out of the city. Half of it is looking for us now, and the other half would gladly sell us out for the reward. We just need to figure out how to get past the gates.’
‘Sorry,’ Leigh said. ‘I didn’t think this far ahead.’
‘Don’t be sorry,’ Aiden said. ‘You did well, I told you. The place is bound to be on lockdown for a while.’
‘Should we find somewhere to wait it out in the city?’ Leigh asked. ‘Grace could help us again?’
‘We already asked too much of her.’ Aiden shook his head. ‘No, it’s too dangerous to stay in the city any longer.’
They lay waiting in the stillness under the lorry. The occasional person passed by their corner of the redoubt, heading down into the city, but the gates still swarmed with officers.
‘It’ll be morning soon,’ Aiden said, breaking the silence. ‘When daylight hits, this place will start getting busy and there’ll be nowhere to hide. We need to make a move soon. Tell me again, how many guards did you see at the gate?’
‘I counted at least ten. It’s dark though, so I could be wrong.’
Aiden cursed and chewed his lip. Leigh looked at him sideways, feeling his stress rub off on her. ‘Want me to go back out and look around again?’ she asked, trying to be helpful.
‘No, stay put. Walking around will just draw attention.’
Leigh looked around, racking her brain for a way to get through the gates. She studied the shadowy wall of the redoubt nearby. Aiden had already told her that it was unclimbable. Too much razor wire, rusty scrap, and broken glass. Besides, even if they somehow managed to climb over in the darkness, there was no way they could carry Hitch over safely.
‘Maybe there’s a hole in the wall?’ Leigh said hopefully. ‘A safe place to get through?’
‘I doubt it. Even if there was, we wouldn’t be able to find it without daylight.’
Leigh sighed and rolled onto her back, trying to dislodge the pebble digging in to her arm. She gazed up at the underside of the lorry. She reached up to stroke the metal, feeling the coarse rust and the eroded holes that dotted the underside. She stopped and frowned.
‘What about the lorry?’ she asked.
‘What about it?’
‘You said they work like cars, right? I remember when we came through here before they made me jump, so they must work.’
Aiden looked at her and a wry smile spread over his stubbled face. ‘Either I’m an idiot or you’re a genius.’
Leigh lit up at his reaction. ‘You think it’ll work?’
‘I think there’s only one way to find out.’
‘We won’t hurt anyone though, right?’
‘Don’t worry, people will move when they see this thing hurtling towards them. Wait here with Hitch while I check the cabins.’
Aiden rolled out from under the vehicle, causing Hitch to whine softly. Leigh scooted alongside the dog and put her arm over him. ‘Sorry I got you into this,’ she whispered. ‘We’re going to get out of here soon. Don’t worry, Aiden has a plan.’
A few moments later, Aiden returned and whispered her name. She nudged Hitch, and they crawled out together. Aiden took her hand and led them to one of the nearby lorries. Leigh’s heart hammered at his touch. The danger was real, but all she could focus on was the rough feeling of his palm.
They came around to a lorry with an open door, and Aiden boosted her up into the cabin. Then he picked up Hitch and gently placed him on the passenger seat inside before climbing up himself. Hitch whined, and moved to put his head on Leigh’s lap.
‘This was the only one that had keys,’ Aiden whispered. ‘When the engine starts, we’ll have maybe half a minute of confusion before the guards realise what’s going on. So we have to move fast. It’s going to get bumpy, so I need you to hold on to Hitch tight.’
Aiden took a few deep breaths, then reached down and turned the key. The engine whined, but didn’t start. He tried the key again but still nothing.
‘They’ve seen us,’ Leigh hissed, as she stared at men on the gate pointing lights in their direction.
‘Come on, come on,’ Aiden whispered to himself. He turned the key a third time, and the monstrous engine roared to life. The whole cabin began to vibrate, and Leigh clutched Hitch in alarm. The truck’s headlights flared up, illuminating the gate and the advancing officers ahead of them. Aiden wrenched the stick beside him which caused a horrible grinding noise, then the lorry lurched forward, gently bouncing over the rocky ground. Leigh covered her eyes as more officers pointed blinding flashlights at them. Aiden shaded his eyes, moved the stick again, and the lorry began to pick up speed.
A gunshot pinged off the front of the metal cabin.
‘Get down,’ Aiden shouted, ducking behind the steering wheel.
Leigh sank down in her seat, protecting Hitch with her arms as a hail of gunfire peppered the lorry, showering them in glass. Aiden reached up and pulled a cord, and a deafening horn blasted out from the cabin.
‘Hold on!’ he shouted over the roar of the engine.
Leigh peered over the dashboard to see people scattering as the lorry surged forward. She gasped as one man clipped the side of the cabin and spun away, falling to the ground. Before she could say anything, they collided with the gate, bursting through the chain link fence. The lorry bounced around wildly as it crashed over the fallen debris. All around them, shouting erupted as officers and people living outside the city were surprised by the sudden appearance of a lorry tearing through the gates of the redoubt. The circus tent loomed ahead, and Leigh squealed as it looked like they were going to plough into it. Aiden swerved, narrowly missing the tent, and a few seconds later they were clear.
Leigh looked into the mirror on her side of the lorry, watching the carnage behind them. The gate was flattened, and people were swarming in, with the police overwhelmed and unable to stop them.
Aiden turned the truck onto the road and headed north, flashing a rare grin at Leigh, who was still in shock from what had just happened. ‘They’ll be stuck dealing with that mess for a while,’ he said. ‘We should be able to get some good distance between us before they come looking.’
‘That was amazing,’ Leigh said, sitting up and catching her breath as she was bounced around in the seat. ‘I can’t believe we went right through the gate. Lorries are incredible!’
Aiden laughed. ‘Well don’t get too comfortable. We’ll have to ditch it soon enough. There’s not a lot of fuel in the tank.’
‘So we made it then?’ Leigh asked as she looked out of the side window at the scenery passing by.
Aiden nodded, the grin still there. ‘That’s right, we’re leaving that rusty hole behind and heading home.’
‘Home,’ Leigh said. ‘Where is home?’
‘A quiet place where me and Hitch live up in Stryss Forest. Hitch needs to rest up and heal, and I could use a break after the week I’ve had.’
Leigh slumped
back in the seat, excited at the escape but her thoughts already turning to the man they had hit. She wondered if he was all right, and if not, did that make her a murderer? She was part of the reason he got hit after all. She tried to put it from her mind. There was too much going on to process it yet. Her life had turned on its head in the last week, so much had happened. She even had a friend, she thought as she smiled at Aiden. Two friends, she corrected herself, scratching Hitch behind his ears.
CHAPTER 19
MALCOLM WAITED PATIENTLY in the corridors of the Brentford Casino for the meeting to end. Zachary Dunston, the newest board member, was the first to step out of the board room. A young man, he wore a loose fitting shirt at odds with the rest of the board who lived in their suits. He caught sight of Malcolm and flashed him a smug smile before strolling away down the corridor. After him came Julian, loosening his collar in a weary manner.
‘I assume it didn’t go well?’ Malcolm said as Julian came alongside.
‘Fossils,’ Julian said with a sigh. ‘I have no idea how people that stubborn managed to survive this long.’
‘They didn’t take your advice then?’
‘Oh they took it. I’m Julian Caldwell, old boy. I could tell the board to give up their wealth to the outlanders and they would do it.’ The usual amused gleam in Julian’s eye returned. ‘Well, maybe some of it anyway.’
‘If they took your advice, what’s the problem?’
‘Ah, it’s not so much them. The board are tedious, but predictable. The problem is Dunston’s kid.’
Malcolm nodded. ‘He does seem to be filling his father’s shoes quickly.’
‘Quickly? His old man is barely cold and Zachary is already in there, parking himself at the table like he owns it.’ Julian shook his head. ‘He stands up in there and talks about buying out the Hermes over in Carson as a way to extend the Syndicate’s influence, as if it would be that easy. The boy thinks himself better than everyone. You can see it behind his eyes. He’ll bring trouble down on us all, mark my words.’
