by Gavin Zanker
‘I remember Hitch being handy in a scrap,’ Ellis said passing up the weapons, ‘but what about the girl, can she shoot?’
‘She has her own gun already,’ Aiden said, pocketing the grenade and checking that the magazine of the assault rifle was loaded.
Leigh looked to him with a shocked expression. ‘But I’m not a good shot,’ she said. ‘I could barely hit the cans.’
‘Just remember what I taught you,’ Aiden said, tapping her forehead lightly with his finger. ‘You survive with this first, and you only shoot if you have to.’
‘What about Hitch?’ she asked, her voice almost cracking as she unholstered her pistol with shaking hands.
Aiden patted the dog’s flank. ‘Don’t worry about Hitch, he’ll probably outlive us all. I want you to stay back here in the kitchen out of sight and keep a good hold on him for me. I’ll take care of Blanc. Can you do that?’
‘I trust you,’ Leigh said with a nod, sniffing loudly as she grasped hold of Hitch’s collar.
Loud hammering sounded at the front door and everyone froze.
CHAPTER 31
A FLURRY OF shadows passed across the grime-covered windows from outside. ‘Who’s there?’ Ellis shouted as he approached the front door with an assault rifle in hand.
‘Open up, Ellis. You know damn well who it is.’
Aiden recognised the sharp tone of Blanc’s voice immediately. He moved into the main shop and upturned one of the metal tables, scattering circuit boards and components to the floor as he crouched down behind it.
‘Sorry, Blanc,’ Ellis said. ‘I er… I made a mistake.’
‘What the hell is he talking about?’ Blanc muttered from outside. ‘What the hell are you talking about? Open the door or I’ll break it down myself and beat you with your own arms.’
‘I had a few too many to drink and thought I saw that guy you were after. Turns out I was wrong, and it was just some homeless guy that looked like him. So… sorry to waste your time, but I guess you can turn around and go back home.’
‘You must be the worst liar I’ve ever seen,’ Aiden said, shaking his head.
There was another bang at the door. ‘Adam, put that door through,’ Blanc said. ‘I want to have a little chat with that drunk.’
Ellis fired a warning shot into the ceiling as he upturned a table himself and ducked behind it. There was a scrabbling of footsteps in the street as people dived for cover.
‘So what now?’ Ellis asked Aiden. ‘Any ideas?’
Aiden stared out of the window and tried to make out what was happening, but the glass was so stained and dusty he could only make out silhouettes. Before he could speak, the shop exploded with a hail of automatic gunfire. Glass shattered and plaster flew into the air as bullets tore through the front of the shop, impacting the rear wall. Aiden ducked down and covered his head, waiting for the firing to stop.
‘Oi, stop the bloody ruckus!’ a shrill voice called from somewhere outside as the gunfire faded away. ‘Some people have to live here!’
‘Go back inside, woman, this isn’t any of your business,’ Blanc shouted.
‘Stop firing guns on our street!’ the woman shrieked. ‘You come here and think you can-’
A short spatter of gunfire rang out. ‘I’m not going to tell you again, you hatchet-faced bitch,’ Blanc said. ‘Unless you stick your head back inside that window, the next round out of this gun will be aimed right between your eyes.’
‘I always hated that nosey, old bat across the street,’ Ellis said with a grin. ‘She always had a snide comment ready for everyone.’
‘You’re taking this pretty well considering we’re about to die,’ Aiden said, gripping his rifle.
‘Well, it’s a bit more exciting than tipping beer into my face down at the Trout every night, isn’t it?’ Ellis said with a smirk on his red-cheeked face. ‘So what’s the plan then? I don’t suppose we should go out and talk to her?’
‘Why does everyone assume I always have a plan?’ Aiden said as he peered around the table. With the windows now gone he had a clear view into the street where the armoured SUV was parked. ‘It’s your fault we’re in this mess,’ he said. ‘I should put a bullet in your head myself after blaming me for-’
‘Ellis, get yourself out here,’ Blanc called, ‘and bring that cretin with you. He has something that belongs to me.’
‘We’re talking here!’ Ellis shouted back. He turned back to Aiden. ‘Who else could I have blamed but you? You’re the reason everything went to crap. My life at the Citadel was fine before you showed up and ruined it all.’
‘How about blaming yourself? I had nothing to do with the choices you made. I haven’t even seen you for years, so stop playing the victim!’
‘Guys, is this really the time?’ Leigh called from the kitchen.
More gunfire whipped through the room, sending plaster and shards of glass bouncing everywhere. ‘Are you done with your little domestic, ladies?’ Blanc shouted. ‘I haven’t got all day.’
Ellis blind-fired his rifle over the table, unleashing a chatter of automatic gunfire towards the truck outside. ‘You lost someone once,’ he said. ‘I remember you telling me about her. You had someone to blame though. You hunted down the guy that took her and you had your revenge. What did I have? Just a couple of hooded goons whose faces I never even saw!’
‘How about the psychotic bitch outside firing at us?’ Aiden snapped. ‘She leads the Crimson Wolves, her men follow the orders she gives!’
Ellis frowned, then looked towards the street. ‘It never occurred to me that she probably gave the order herself.’
Aiden shook his head. ‘No kidding. All that booze has pickled your brain.’
‘Maybe you’re right, maybe it is her fault,’ Ellis said, his expression turning wistful. ‘I held onto the anger for so long, but now you’re here, face to face… maybe I was wrong to blame you for everything.’
‘Appreciated, but can we save the apology for later?’ Aiden said. ‘Right now we need to figure out a way out of here before we both buy it.’
Another scattering of bullets pinged over their heads, hitting the wall behind them. Aiden and Ellis both shot back, blind-firing in the direction of the truck again.
‘We’re going to need a vehicle,’ Aiden said as there was a lull in the gunfire. ‘Do you have a car?’
‘Yeah, a rusty old cruiser out back. She’s temperamental though.’
Aiden cursed. ‘Does it run at all?’
‘Sometimes. She tends to start when she wants to.’ Ellis fell into silence, a strangely serene expression crossing his face.
‘What is it? What’s wrong?’ Aiden asked.
‘I’m sorry, Aiden,’ Ellis said. ‘Me losing Sara wasn’t your fault, and I shouldn’t have blamed you. Maybe I can make it up to you while getting my own chance at revenge.’ He cupped his hands and shouted out through the shattered windows. ‘Blanc, don’t shoot. I’m coming out.’
‘What are you doing?’ Aiden hissed. ‘She’ll kill you.’
‘Probably, but I’ll have a shot at least,’ Ellis said. He pulled up his shirt to reveal a pistol tucked into his belt. ‘Plus it’ll give you a chance to get away. It’s my fault you’re here, so it seems only right.’ Ellis smiled grimly and slid a set of keys across the floor. ‘Head out the back, you’ll find the cruiser parked in the alley.’
‘Ellis, come on, you don’t have to go out there.’
But Ellis was already up and picking his way through the ruins of his shop, his rifle held above his head. ‘So long, Aiden,’ he said, then turned and unlatched the door before stepping outside, letting it swing closed behind him.
‘Quick, we need to move,’ Aiden said as he ducked back into the kitchen.
Leigh jumped up and followed him, still grasping Hitch’s collar as he slid open the bolts on the back door. Aiden put his finger to his lips as he opened the door slowly. Peering out into the alley at the rear, he saw two men with the distinctive red cloth tied ar
ound their arms, scrap rifles in hand, as they sat against the cruiser. They passed a cigarette between themselves, throwing occasional wary glances towards the house.
Aiden kicked the door open and strode out towards them with his rifle raised. They froze as they saw the gun pointed at them. ‘Drop your weapons,’ he said calmly.
The two men shared a look as one of them took a slow drag of the cigarette. ‘Don’t try it,’ Aiden warned, ‘no one needs to die here.’
They ignored him and pulled up their weapons. Aiden fired two quick bursts from his rifle, and the men crumpled to the cobbles beside the car. The cigarette rolled across the ground leaving a thin trail of smoke rising into the cold air.
With the alley now clear, Aiden ran for the cruiser. Using the keys, he unlocked the door, threw his rifle in the back, and climbed into the driver’s seat. He was already turning the key in the ignition as Leigh jumped into the back with Hitch, but the engine did nothing.
He could hear Blanc’s voice now as she started shrieking from the other side of the house. ‘I killed who? I don’t care about any of that, you drunk. Where’s Aiden? I want that damn decoder!’
A moment passed, then a single gunshot rang out, and Aiden knew his old friend was dead. He sighed, but there was no time to grieve. He had to get the decoder away from Blanc.
He froze.
‘Wait, where’s the decoder?’ he asked, turning to Leigh as he frantically checked his pockets.
‘Ellis picked it up after you tried to break it in the kitchen,’ she said. Aiden cursed and punched the steering wheel with his fist. ‘Does that mean she has the key thingy now?’ Leigh asked. ‘I don’t understand, why did Ellis go out there like that?’
‘The idiot was trying to redeem himself,’ Aiden said, taking a breath. He tried the ignition again, but still nothing.
A familiar figure lumbered into view at the end of the alley causing Aiden’s heart to race. ‘Get down, it’s Adam!’ he hissed as he ducked down in his seat, hiding below the dashboard.
Leigh wasn’t paying attention though, and as she turned to look through the passenger window she froze. Then she smiled and waved cheerfully.
‘What are you doing?’ Aiden said, his eyes wide. ‘Is he coming this way? If he does he’ll see the two bodies for sure.’
‘No, he’s waving back at me.’
‘He’s what?’ Aiden said in disbelief. He peered carefully over the car door to see Blanc’s henchman waving his hand slowly. Then he walked away and disappeared from view.
‘Is he the one that hurt you in the town hall?’ Leigh asked.
‘That’s right. It’s hard to blame him honestly, he has the mind of a child. It’s just that Blanc has poisoned him.’
Aiden tried the ignition again, and this time the engine spluttered to life. He slipped the stick into gear and pulled the car away slowly, trying not to draw any extra attention to them. They reached the end of the alley, and pulled out onto the main road where the front of the shop was visible.
Blanc stood over the motionless body of Ellis in the street as her men swarmed through the remains of the shop. For some reason she still wore the bandage over her head from the bullet wound he had given her months ago.
As if sensing his presence, she turned and stared at the car as it passed.
Aiden turned his head away to hide his face. Catching a glimpse of her in the rear-view mirror before she disappeared from view, he saw her kneeling down and searching Ellis’ fallen body.
‘What now then?’ Leigh asked as she climbed into the front seat. ‘She got the key thing, right?’
‘Right.’
‘So we have to stop her,’ Leigh said, matter of factly.
‘Why?’ Aiden asked.
‘Because…’ Leigh frowned as she struggled to answer. ‘Because it’s the right thing to do. Otherwise Blanc will get her way and more people will get hurt.’
Aiden imagined Project Solace being activated: the bombs ripping the continent apart, the Rim crashing into the canyon with its citizens plunging onto the rocks below, Kiln Commons toppling to rubble, fields throwing up choking smoke as they burned, and the bodies. Bodies lying everywhere. A wave of dread crept over him as he pictured Leigh among the dead.
He shook his head to clear the image and glanced across at her in the passenger seat. Her face was set with determination. There was no question in her mind that stopping Blanc was the right thing to do. Aiden remembered his encounter with Isaac a few nights ago.
‘I think the world is probably beyond saving these days,’ Aiden had told the old man.
Isaac had looked at him across the glowing campfire and said, ‘If there’s even a single person left in this world that matters to you, then it’s worth trying. Believe me. After all, if we all laid down and died then who would look out for the important ones like her?’
‘So where do we go?’ Leigh asked, interrupting Aiden’s thoughts. ‘You told Ellis you found it in a bunker, right?’
Aiden nodded. ‘That’s right.’
‘So let’s go there then. We get there before Blanc does and then we wreck the place so she can’t use the key.’
‘It won’t be easy.’
‘That’s fine, we can do it together.’
Aiden glanced at her sideways. Everything was so black and white for her. ‘You know, you still manage to surprise me,’ he said, a smile touching the edges of his mouth.
‘Good, I’d hate to be boring,’ Leigh said, sitting back in the passenger seat with a self-satisfied grin. Hitch stuck his head into the front of the car and Leigh reached back and scratched behind his ears.
‘All right, looks like we’re doing this then,’ Aiden said. He glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw Blanc’s armoured SUV pull onto the main road in the distance.
He shifted gear and sped up. ‘We don’t have much time.’
CHAPTER 32
BROKEN POWER PYLONS flashed past the windows as they sped east along the road. They had driven through the afternoon, and with evening approaching they would be forced to slow down so they could safely pick their way around the debris on the road. One of the largest storms Aiden had ever seen was forming ahead of them; huge, billowing clouds of menacing grey expanded across the horizon, leaving an uneasy feeling in his stomach.
After the adrenaline rush of the shoot-out, Leigh had crashed out in the passenger seat for most of the journey and was just now waking up. ‘Where are we?’ she asked, stretching her arms.
‘Somewhere between Carson and the Rim. Hard to say exactly, I haven’t travelled this road in a long time.’
‘Are we far ahead of Blanc?’ Leigh asked, turning to look back at the setting sun.
‘We’ve gained a fair distance, but we’ll need to ditch the car soon.’
‘Aww, why? I like it. It’s comfy and I don’t have to walk.’ Leigh sniffed around the dashboard. ‘Does stink of fuel though.’
‘Never ridden in a car before?’
‘Nope, just the lorry. It’s fast, isn’t it.’
‘Picking our way between wrecks on an overgrown road? This isn’t fast. You should’ve seen cars racing up and down the old motorways.’
Leigh yawned. ‘So why are we ditching the car then?’
‘Fuel for one, we’re almost out.’ Aiden tapped on the gauge on the dashboard which was well in to the red now. ‘Plus I don’t fancy driving headlong into that storm.’
Leigh looked at the horizon and saw the looming darkness of the clouds ahead. A fork of lightning flashed in the distance. ‘Will we be safe if we’re walking?’ she asked.
‘I doubt it, but we won’t be much safer in the car.’
‘So how do we get to the bunker before Blanc?’
‘Blanc will probably follow the road all the way to the Rim in her SUV before turning north onto the main road. If we ditch the car and head north on foot soon, we should make it there first. It’ll just mean a lot more walking.’
‘Is it a long way?’
‘
It’s not too far from the house on Red Hill where we met.’ Aiden saw Leigh’s smile drop a little. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘we won’t be going back to the house. I don’t want to run into any Vipers if I can help it.’
Aiden slowed down as they came to a stretch of road that was blocked to a single lane by the remains of an old traffic jam on either side. He parked the car to block the narrow passage through the wreckage and turned off the engine.
‘We’ll stop here and leave a trap for Blanc while we still have some daylight,’ he said.
Leigh climbed out of the car, collecting her pack. Aiden did the same, picking up the rifle from the rear seat. He studied the unfamiliar road to try and find his bearings, but there were no landmarks in sight, just fallow fields and the cracked asphalt of the road stretching east to west.
‘Take Hitch and go stand over there,’ he told Leigh, pointing to the north side of the road. ‘This isn’t safe so I want you to keep your distance.’
‘What isn’t safe?’ Leigh asked, but Aiden was already busy rooting around in his pack. She shrugged and moved to where he had pointed, kneeling down and holding on to Hitch’s collar.
Aiden quickly found what he was looking for: the grenade from Ellis’ cache. He pulled the pin, but kept the lever pressed as he wedged it under the tyre of the cruiser. As soon as someone tried to move the car blocking the road, the pressure would be released and the explosive would trigger. He didn’t like using such an indiscriminate trap, but he was certain Blanc would be the first to come across the blocked road in her hurry to get to the bunker.
Gently easing away from the cruiser, he shouldered his pack and crossed the road. The three of them headed north, picking their way through the untended farmland and overgrown hedges. They kept a good pace and the road soon disappeared from view behind them.
After a while, Leigh broke the silence. ‘So what did you do back there?’ she asked as they hopped a small stream that bubbled a disturbing orange colour.
