New City

by Deborah Abela

  A Plan Unfolds

  A delivery was expected at Garrison headquarters, which would have been a perfect cover for Isabella to smuggle herself into the camp, except for one thing.

  It was a fish delivery.

  The truck had pulled right up to the kitchen door, and Mrs Gooding made sure she piled enough boxes in the line of sight of the surveillance camera so that Isabella was able to sneak inside without being seen.

  She wrapped a woollen blanket around her shoulders and sat inside the truck on a foam box.

  ‘Thank you, Mr Vivas,’ Mrs Gooding said. ‘Your fish is as fresh as always.’

  ‘As fresh as you are beautiful, Mrs Gooding.’ The man with the moustache grinned.

  Mr Vivas prepared to shut the doors when Mrs Gooding whispered to Isabella, ‘You’ll only be in there for ten minutes. Good luck.’

  The doors slammed shut and Isabella began counting down each shivering second.

  The truck rumbled out the gates of the Garrison and onto the streets of New City, but after only a few minutes it lurched to a sudden stop.

  Isabella heard muffled voices. The driver’s door opened and the sound of feet landed on the ground. Footsteps crunched over gravel along the side of the truck. The handle was wrenched open.

  A stream of daylight shone inside.

  ‘See, like I told you,’ Mr Vivas sounded relieved. ‘Nothing here except empty boxes from my deliveries.’

  There was a long pause before a voice ordered, ‘Open them.’

  ‘But I promised my wife I’d be home by –’

  ‘Every last one.’

  Mr Vivas pulled himself into the rear of the truck. His eyes searched each box, wondering which one to open first.

  Isabella had curled herself into one that was tucked away at the back. She lay as still as she could, barely breathing.

  She could hear foam lids squeak as they were opened, one by one, and with each box Mr Vivas was moving closer to her.

  ‘You see,’ he tried to sound confident. ‘They’re all –’

  ‘Next one.’

  Another squeak of foam.

  Another lid.

  Another box closer.

  Suddenly Isabella heard a splash on the truck floor.

  ‘Watch out, you oaf,’ one of the voices screamed. ‘You’ve splashed fish juice all over us.’

  ‘Sorry. It slipped. That’s the trouble with fish. Everything’s a little slippery after –’

  ‘Aaah,’ the voice grunted. ‘Take your truck and get out of here.’

  ‘Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.’

  Isabella felt the truck jolt as Mr Vivas leapt to the ground and slammed the doors.

  When they began moving, Isabella pushed off the foam lid and only now realised how hard her heart was beating.

  When they stopped next, Mr Vivas helped her out.

  ‘Thank you for protecting me,’ she said.

  His moustache twitched above his kindly smile. ‘We all need to look out for each other. Mr Omar will be here in an hour to take you back. Now hurry.’

  As the truck pulled away, Isabella quickly ran under the cover of the trees along the drive to the shed. She quickly changed into the camp uniform before switching on her torch and hurrying down through the trapdoor and into the tunnel.

  When she climbed the rope ladder at the other end, she listened carefully to make sure there were no guards in the quarters before softly knocking against the wooden floor.

  There was the usual scuffling of shoes, whispered voices and scraping, before the door opened and light poured through.

  ‘It’s Isabella!’ Latif grinned.

  A group of kids reached down and helped her up.

  ‘Where’s Vijay?’

  ‘He’s with Samira.’

  Isabella saw Vijay huddled over a book he was reading to Samira.

  ‘Any room for me there?’ Isabella asked.

  ‘Isabella!’ Samira cried. ‘You came back.’

  ‘I told you I would. How are you?’

  ‘Good, today. I’ve hardly coughed at all.’

  ‘And what brings you here?’ Vijay asked.

  ‘Bea was kidnapped.’

  Vijay’s smile fell. ‘Kidnapped?’

  ‘But she’s only a little girl,’ Samira said.

  ‘She’s home now and the Major General is blaming it on people from the camp.’

  ‘But you know we didn’t do it,’ Vijay said.

  Isabella nodded. ‘It was the Major General. He did it to warn me to stay away.’

  ‘Yet here you are.’

  ‘Yes, and I have a plan. You know how you said you’ve been filming so that one day people can know what it’s like here? That day has arrived. Griffin is in the studio now learning how the broadcasting equipment works so we can show everyone in New City the truth about what is going on.’

  ‘What do you need us to do?’

  ‘I want to record you all with as much “cute factor” as I can get.’ Isabella searched the faces huddled around them. ‘Think you can do it?’

  ‘Cute?’ Latif threw his hands on his hips. ‘I was born cute.’

  ‘How does your camera work?’ Isabella asked.

  ‘Easy.’ Vijay jumped up and lifted a loose wooden floorboard under his bed where the camera was hidden.

  While he explained its functions, the kids piled onto bunks or sat cross-legged on the floor. The little ones sat in the laps of the older kids. Eventually the room fell silent and an improvised show began.

  Isabella couldn’t help but smile as she recorded kids juggling socks, balancing shoes on their heads and doing handstands and cartwheels.

  Vijay told jokes. ‘Where do cows go on Friday night? To the MOOOvie theatre. What do you call a pig that knows karate? A pork chop! Why do bees have sticky hair? Because they use honeycombs. Yes, but that’s not all, ladies and gentlemen. How do you –’

  ‘I think we might have enough.’ Isabella stopped recording.

  ‘But I was only getting warmed up.’

  ‘That’s what I was worried about.’ The others giggled. ‘Is there anyone else?’ Isabella asked.

  ‘Samira can sing!’ Nadia cried.

  ‘Like a bird!’ Latif agreed. ‘Will you sing for us, Samira?’

  Vijay leant in close. ‘Only if you feel up to it.’

  Samira nodded and sat upright. ‘What shall I sing?’

  ‘That’s easy,’ Vijay answered. ‘“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz.’

  Isabella held the camera close. ‘Ready when you are.’

  From the tiny lungs of the small girl came the pitch-perfect song. No one moved and the entire dorm fell silent as Samira sang about rainbows and bluebirds and troubles melting like lemon drops.

  Just as she was about to finish, she was struck by a coughing fit. She bent forward and struggled to breathe. Vijay swept in and pounded her back. Isabella stopped recording and slowly Samira gathered her breath and the coughing eased.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she breathed.

  ‘You don’t need to be. Everyone who sees this is going to love you. I better get back before I’m missed.’

  After a flurry of goodbye hugs and waves, the blanket box was moved aside and Vijay accompanied Isabella to the other end of the tunnel and into the shed.

  He was unusually quiet.

  ‘Her cough’s really bad,’ Isabella said.

  ‘I know.’ Vijay frowned.

  ‘She’s the next one to be smuggled out, isn’t she?’

  ‘Yes, this afternoon. I’d prefer to keep her with me, but she has to get proper treatment soon or …’

  ‘Mrs Gooding says the ones who are smuggled are treated well.’

  ‘Isabella? Please be careful. The Major General doesn’t like to be crossed.’

  ‘Neither do I.’

  ‘Yes, but he has a whole army to back him up.’

  ‘And I have a whole town.’ She smiled. ‘They just don’t know it yet.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVE
N

  A Panicked Interruption

  ‘You learn fast.’ Amy the journalist sat with Griffin in the darkness of the control room. The operations desk was covered in glowing buttons and dials, and above them was a line of TV monitors.

  ‘I usually only have to be shown something once and I remember it.’ Griffin shrugged. ‘I think it’s to make up for the lack of muscles.’

  ‘Well, you may not have muscles, but you’re good with technology.’

  Isabella poked her head through the door.

  ‘Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs Gooding would like to ask us about dinner.’

  ‘We were just finishing up. That’s me done for the day.’ She shook Griffin’s hand. ‘It was nice working with you. Come back again whenever you like. The door’s always open.’

  In the corridor, Isabella spoke quietly. ‘How was the lesson?’

  Griffin grinned. ‘I think I may have a career in TV.’

  ‘When can we do it?’

  ‘If you have the chip, I can do it tonight.’

  ‘Will you be okay?’

  He nodded. ‘If I can remember not to faint I should be fine.’

  ‘You will be. I know it.’

  When they reached the kitchen Mrs Gooding handed them two boxes to carry to the storeroom, where they could talk in private. She looked pale and Isabella noticed her hands shake as she began packing groceries onto a shelf. ‘Mrs Fern’s house has been raided.’

  ‘Is she okay?’

  ‘She prefers quieter nights sitting by the fire reading, but yes, she’s fine. The Garrison arrived and said they needed to do a random search. They went through everything, but thankfully Mrs Fern is very careful when it comes to being discreet.’

  ‘So they found nothing?’ Isabella asked.

  ‘Luckily, no,’ she lowered her voice further, ‘but I think we need to cancel our plan.’

  ‘We can’t!’ Isabella said. ‘It’s all in place; I promised the kids at the camp.’

  ‘Everything feels very unsettled and I think now might not be the best time.’

  ‘We have to try,’ Isabella said.

  ‘I can do it, Mrs Gooding,’ Griffin said. ‘Really, I can.’

  Mrs Gooding sighed.

  ‘What you’re both doing is very brave.’ She pointed her finger firmly at each of them. ‘But the second you smell trouble, promise me you’ll stop what you’re doing and get to safety.’

  Griffin agreed. ‘I’ll make sure of it.’

  After dinner Isabella snuggled into bed with Bea and Raffy to watch a film while Xavier stood with Griffin at the main entrance to the apartment before he headed to the studio.

  ‘You can do this, Griffman. You’re smarter than anyone I know – and that includes me.’

  ‘Thanks, Xavier. I think.’

  ‘I’m serious,’ he said. ‘I know I give you a hard time, but I mean it.’

  As Griffin made his way to the studio, he ran through the broadcast procedure in his mind to make sure he remembered everything Amy had shown him. It was easy, only a few steps really, but going over it in his head helped him not to panic about what he was going to do.

  When he reached the control room door, he checked to see that no one else was around before he sat at the desk and inserted the chip from Vijay’s camera into the main computer.

  Griffin looked at the clock ticking above his head.

  An icon appeared on the screen.

  He relaxed a little. All he had to do was download the vision to the broadcast folder, just as Amy showed him, and it would be ready to air. Floating arrows flew from one folder to another, showing the progress of the file transfer.

  Griffin’s fists clenched as he willed each arrow to be the last.

  Another and another until …

  Transfer complete. Ready for Broadcast.

  His skin tingled.

  ‘Don’t mess this up,’ he quietly pleaded.

  He programmed the computer to broadcast across the internet, all TV channels and public screens.

  There would be very few residents of New City who wouldn’t see it.

  As he was about to press Broadcast, he heard urgent voices and footsteps in the corridor. He reached across the desk to get the chip, but his chair rolled back and his forehead slammed against the desk.

  His head ached with a stabbing pain. The room spun and his vision blurred.

  ‘I want it done now!’ a voice yelled from outside the door.

  They were almost there. He’d never escape without being seen.

  Griffin lunged across the desk, ejected the chip and scrambled next door into the darkened studio.

  An army of people marched inside. Griffin noticed that Amy was among them. There were panicked voices and barked commands. Lights suddenly blazed and crew members busily prepared cameras and microphones.

  Griffin watched it all from the shadows of a stage curtain, wondering what all the panic was about – then he saw the Major General. He had a cane in one hand and Cleopatra’s leash in the other. His face was flushed with fury.

  He limped to the lounge on the set and was immediately surrounded by hair and make-up artists.

  ‘Sit!’ The Major General barked at Cleopatra, who stood bolt upright, staring at the stage curtains.

  The Major General tugged on the leash. ‘I said sit!’

  The panther eventually curled up on the floor beside him, ears alert and eyes fixed on the curtains where, only a few metres away, Griffin stood deathly still.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Traitors in Our Midst

  Isabella couldn’t concentrate on the movie. It was a good distraction for Bea and Raffy from the last few days, but all she could think of was Griffin.

  Then the TV went black.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Raffy asked.

  Isabella tried to sound calm. ‘I’m not sure.’

  The screen filled with an image of the Major General.

  ‘We interrupt your viewing for this very important announcement. We have traitors in our midst.’

  Griffin.

  Isabella stopped breathing

  ‘Traitors who have threatened the security of our town.’

  Please let him be okay.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Bea asked.

  ‘We’re not sure yet,’ Xavier answered.

  Please, please …

  ‘For years we have been helping those affected by the Floods and the changing weather patterns by offering them a home in our city. An offer, I’m sad to say, that has been thrown back in our faces.’

  ‘Is he talking about the camp?’ Bea asked.

  Isabella nodded.

  ‘Not happy with all we give them,’ the Major General continued, ‘they have built a tunnel from the camp to smuggle in even more. We cannot simply stand by while this blatant disrespect for our generosity goes on.’

  He paused and seemed to be staring directly at Isabella.

  ‘So we have ended it.’

  She felt breathless, as if she’d been hit in the chest.

  Footage appeared on the screen of bulldozers digging into Vijay’s tunnel and dumping the earth back over the top while soldiers stood guard.

  ‘It led from the camp to this shed. From there they snuck into our city and our homes to steal from us.’

  A bulldozer crashed into the shed and it fell apart as if it were made of matchsticks.

  ‘The owner of the shed has been taken in for questioning.’

  Isabella couldn’t move as she watched Mr Finch being led into an Armavan. His hands were cuffed behind his back, his head bowed. He seemed so much smaller than when they had met.

  Then it became worse. The footage showed a young boy being led away by two Garrison soldiers.

  ‘Vijay,’ she breathed.

  ‘We have captured rogue elements within the camp who have been using the tunnel for their own gain.’

  The Armavan drew away from the ruins of the shed, while the bulldozer kept striking the earth and pouring
great clumps of dirt over the now ruined tunnel.

  ‘We have evidence of this boy breaking into homes, stealing and even attacking an old woman.’

  ‘That boy looks too little to do anything like that,’ Raffy said.

  Isabella’s body tensed.

  Grainy security footage showed an elderly woman waiting outside her home when a young boy approaches and tries to steal her bag. She resists until the boy strikes her and she falls to the ground.

  Isabella noticed the time and date in the corner of the footage.

  ‘We … will … not … stand … for … this.’ The Major General’s voice was like a knife being sharpened.

  ‘Do not underestimate how dangerous these people are to us, to our children and to our future. Without us, they would have nothing, and yet like leeches they take what isn’t theirs with no regard for how hard you have worked, for the sacrifices you have made and for the generosity you have shown in letting them live in your city.’

  The camera zoomed in on the Major General’s face.

  ‘We’ve fought hard to make this city safe, and while I am your leader it will never be allowed to slip into chaos again.’

  The screen went black for a few seconds before it was replaced by Bea and Raffy’s film.

  ‘He’s just a boy.’ Bea said. ‘He didn’t look that dangerous.’

  ‘He’s not.’ Xavier assured. ‘He and the others built the tunnel so they could get things they needed, just like we did in Grimsdon.’

  ‘Where will they take him?’ Raffy asked.

  ‘Xavier looked to Isabella. ‘We don’t know.’

  The bright images of the film flickered across their faces. Isabella looked to the door and didn’t hear any of it. Every second that Griffin wasn’t there dragged past.

  Where was he? Had he been taken away too? Like Vijay? Like the man in the square? But where and why wasn’t he …

  When they heard the click of the door, Isabella jumped out of bed and into the main room where she saw Griffin. She threw her arms around his neck. ‘You’re back.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Isabella,’ he apologised. ‘I almost did it, but the Major General arrived. Did you see his broadcast?’

  Isabella nodded. ‘It’s not true what they said about Vijay. The security film is a fake. I was with him in the camp when the attack on the woman was supposed to have happened.’