by RR Haywood
‘Well, I’ll see you later,’ she rests the clipboard on the closed lid and grasps the rope handles before hefting the box up.
‘See ya, Lilly.’
So easy. Too easy and that ease cements her belief that these are the wrong people to be in control here. A pretty smile and she walks away with enough bombs to kill everyone in here. No orders, no check on the radio, nothing.
She sticks to the inner wall and walks steadily along with an expression of tiredness forced on her face. Carrying a heavy box and running errands like she’s done all day. Following the curvature of the wall she takes a sharp turn and walks towards the rear of the crews on guard watching the armoury.
A distraction has to be both visual and audible.
One of the youths turns quickly as she approaches, she smiles and nods. He smiles nods back and turns away.
Five metres is the killing zone. Fifteen to cause casualties. She stops five metres away from the back of the crews and places the heavy box on the ground. Twilight now and the clear light of the day is dwindling. She flips the lid and pulls one of the small round objects out and takes a breath.
In her right hand and she curls her fingers tight over the metal bar. Her left forefinger fits into the hoop easily. She twists, pulls it free and pauses as she casts a quick look back to the vehicle ramp and the children hidden from view in the shadows of the wall. Torches are lit, lamps and lanterns. Orange glowing lights that bathe the fort in a beautiful soft glow.
A solitary tear falls to roll down her cheek and the sadness she feels mingles with the hope for the future and the complete belief that these people cannot be in charge for the future is as bleak and dark as the night that comes across them now.
Eleven
‘Holy fuck,’ Cookey says as we gather round to peer down into the black hole.
‘How did you find it?’ I ask.
‘Brilliant engineers back then,’ Roy says, ‘it’s almost seamless and I doubt it’s been opened in years.’
‘Echo?’ Nick asks.
Roy nods, ‘I was tapping and thought it sounded different. It’s darker in here so finding the edge was done by fingertips. It’s a trapdoor though,’ he says as we look down into the black abyss below the levered up hatch.
‘Have we got a torch? I ask around, ‘candle? Anything? A mobile phone?’
‘Nothing,’ Cookey says in a low voice, ‘that fucking prick has taken everything.’
‘Oh,’ I stare down, ‘how deep is it?’
‘Don’t know,’ Roy replies, ‘hang on,’ he rushes off and comes back holding a teaspoon, ‘ready?’
He drops it down and we listen at the brief pause and the clatter when it hits the bottom, ‘not far,’ he says, ‘six…maybe ten feet.’
‘Roy, you had night vision goggles,’ Paula says.
‘Yes, I had night vision goggles along with lots of other things in my van which I abandoned…along with the peaceful life I was living too.’
‘Ah you love it,’ I say while staring down the hole.
‘Idea,’ Roy drops down and shoves his head deep into the hole, ‘the air is fresh.’
‘That’s nice, did they hoover too?’ Cookey asks.
‘It means there is ventilation you twat,’ Nick says, ‘otherwise the air would smell stale.’
‘I knew that,’ Cookey shakes his head and tuts, ‘I didn’t know that,’ he adds with a shrug.
‘Nick, pass me your lighter,’ Roy says with his head down the hole and his hand hovering up into the air.
‘My what?’
‘Your lighter,’ I nod at Roy’s hand.
‘My lighter?’
‘Yes, Nick. Your lighter.’
‘It’s the only one we have,’ he says with a look of panic, ‘what if he drops it.’
‘I won’t drop it,’ Roy’s muffled voice says.
‘Oh fucking hell,’ Nick huffs and reluctantly passes the lighter into Roy’s outstretched fingers, ‘don’t use all the fuel.’
‘I think our safety is more important than you having a cigarette,’ Paula says.
‘Humph,’ Nick says.
‘Tunnel,’ Roy shouts up, ‘well a door that leads off anyway…and there’s a ladder built into the side.’
‘Great, just don’t drop the lighter,’ Blowers looks as nervous as Nick.
Roy shuffles back to sit up, ‘fresh air and what looks to be a room or a tunnel, I’ll go down first. Have we got anything we can use a torch?’
‘We don’t have any torches,’ Paula says, ‘Maddox took them, we just had this conversation.’
‘No I mean like an old fashioned torch,’ Roy says, ‘on fire?’
‘Oh right,’ I look about and head quickly into the main room, ‘we’ve got a table and some chairs we can break up but that’s it, no clothes to…hang on, we’ve got the bedding.’
We all dart about dragging rough woollen blankets and sheets into the room. Clarence grab a wooden chair, turns it upside down and grabs the two front legs before yanking the whole thing apart with barely a grunt.
With a strip of blanket wrapped round the end of the chair leg held by Roy, Nick holds his lighter to the material and we watch as the material smoulders and burns but refuses to ignite.
‘We need an accelerant,’ Roy says with a look at Nick.
‘No.’
‘Nick, we need to douse it in something flammable.’
‘Oh come on,’ Nick whines, ‘really?’
‘What?’ Cookey asks.
‘The lighter,’ Blowers says, ‘we need the fuel from the lighter to douse the blanket so it catches alight.’
‘Oh,’ Cookey says, ‘that’s alright.’
‘No it’s not alright,’ Nick says, ‘then we won’t be able to smoke you dickhead.’
‘Er,’ Cookey says slowly, ‘what about the fucking big match you’re gonna be holding dickhead…the big match you’re setting on fire?’
Nick stares at the chair leg for a second before snorting a dry chuckle, ‘fuck it.’
‘Clarence, can you snap the lighter in half but hold it over the end so the…’
‘Thank you, Roy,’ Clarence says, ‘I get it.’
With the torch on the ground, Clarence drops down and holds one end of the plastic tube in each hand while holding it a fraction above the blanket material. An audible snap and the room fills with the pungent aroma of liquid gas.
‘Light it before it soaks in,’ Roy mutters.
Clarence fumbles with the end of the lighter holding the rough wheel and flint. Three times he thumbs the wheel and we hold our breath until the spark ignites the material and a second later the blanket flames bright.
‘We’ll have to move quick, get some more strips ready,’ Roy heads towards the opening and eases his legs down onto the now visible first rung embedded into the side.
We gather at the top and wait as he reaches the bottom, pauses and heads out of sight into the shadows of a doorway.
‘Room,’ he calls out, ‘really big room…hang on…yes there’s another tunnel leading off…’
‘Right, everyone get weapons and er…shit, I was about to say get dressed…fuck it, just get the weapons.’
I lower myself down the hatch, onto the ladder and scrabble down to the bottom. The ground is hard concrete underfoot and Roy was right, the air doesn’t smell that stale. A bit musty but no hint of damp and there must be fresh air coming from somewhere.
‘Roy?’
‘Through here.’
I head into what must have been the room he said was there but pitch black greets my eyes. I hold my hand out, feeling for a trip hazards as the orange glow of the torch bobs back into sight.
‘Tunnel,’ he says quietly as though speaking loud down here isn’t right, ‘more rooms too…this place is huge.’
‘Does it go anywhere?’
‘No idea, it feels flat for a bit then a slight gradient downhill. That’s when I came back.’
‘What direction is it? I mean in relation to the fort?’
‘Bollocks.’
‘Pardon? Isn’t that good news?’
‘It is but we told Lilly to wait until two in the morning before making a distraction but if we’re going to go then we need to do it now before the torch dies.’
‘What do you want to do?’ He asks me quietly, ‘I doubt we’ll get the torch ignited again.’
‘Back to the ladder,’ I head back and climb up into the room to find everyone gathered and looking even more stupid holding pistols and assault rifles while in underwear.
‘Tunnel looks like it leads towards the land…but,’ I heave myself free from the top and stand up, ‘if we’re gonna go then we need to do it now before the torch dies out.’
‘What about Lilly?’ Nick asks quickly, his voice as hushed as mine now the darkness of the night is upon us.
‘Roy,’ Clarence leans over hole, ‘will I fit?’
‘Yes, tight but you’ll get through.’
‘I say we go now,’ Clarence says, ‘we get free, get supplies and come back for Lani…’
‘How the hell are we going to get back in for Lani?’ Paula asks in a rushed whisper.
‘We’ll have time to plan and do something,’ I say, ‘but it’s better than waiting here.’
‘What if we get trapped?’ Cookey asks.
‘I don’t think we will,’ Roy calls up, ‘there’s definitely a flow of air coming from somewhere….’
‘Shush,’ Blowers whispers, closest to the door and we all fall silent.
‘What?’ I ask.
‘..nothing, thought I heard some shouting outside.’
‘Decision made, we’re going while we got the chance…everyone ready?’
Twelve
The tear falls to drop through the air as she stands straight and takes a deep breath.
‘Excuse me,’ she speaks clearly into the gloom, ‘I said excuse me…’
‘What’s up?’ Someone asks her, one of the crew chiefs or a youth. A young voice and a few heads turn to look at her.
‘I am holding a grenade. The pin is pulled out. I am holding it above a box of grenades. If you run or shout I will drop the grenade. If you shoot me I will drop the grenade….’
‘Are you fucking nuts?’ A voice asks as a torch beam is switched on. The illuminated beam sweeps over the ground and up her body until picking out the grenade held clearly in her right hand. The torch holds steady for a second before sweeping back to the open crate of grenades at her feet. Murmurs of panic sweep across the guards, shuffling feet and the clunks of guns being knocked into each other.
‘Do not run or move away,’ Lilly forces power into her voice, ‘you have until the count of three and if you do not put the weapons down I will drop this grenade and we will all die.’
‘Everyone put the guns down,’ a voice says.
‘ONE,’ she shouts now, a clear voice that carries easily through the fort.
‘Okay…okay…’ guns start getting lowered to the ground but some of the youths remain unresponsive.
‘TWO…I am prepared to die…are you?’
‘Down…put ‘em down for fuck’s sake,’ the crew chief barks the order, ‘MADDOX…DARIUS….YOU BETTER GET OUT HERE…’
The clatter of weapons sounds clear as Lilly’s eyes adjust to the gloom. The crews stay close, too afraid to run or do anything and the torch remains focussed on the grenade in her hand.
‘What’s up?’ Maddox walks quickly from the offices.
‘Crazy fuckin’ bitch has a grenade,’ the crew chief yells back.
‘Maddox?’
‘Lilly? That you?’
‘I have a grenade. The pin is pulled out and I am holding the metal bar down. If I let go the grenade will arm as it drops into the box of grenades by my feet…’
‘Okay,’ Maddox stops a few feet away, ‘I can see,’ he says softly.
Lilly clears her throat and draws breath, ‘EVERYONE NEEDS TO LISTEN…PEOPLE IN THE FORT NEED TO LISTEN…’
‘Lilly, please stop this,’ Maddox holds a steady hand out, ‘one grenade will not set the other grenades off. The pin has to be pulled…’
‘That is not true,’ she replies, ‘and by all means, take that chance if you so wish…please let Mr Howie know he can come out now.’
‘Lilly, they might be infected…that is not a chance we can take.’
‘I will not live under tyrannical rule…’
‘Grow up,’ Maddox snaps, ‘you’ll kill everyone in here if you drop that grenade…your own brother included.’
‘Please tell Mr Howie they can come out…and if you move Maddox I will drop this grenade and we will all die…then Mr Howie can come…’
‘Lilly…what you do? Put that thing down!’
‘No!’ Maddox shouts, ‘do not put it down.’
‘What?’ Lenski asks, ‘put it down and…’
‘It’s a bomb,’ Maddox says, ‘she lets go and it explodes.’
‘Oh,’ Lenski frowns with a hard glare at Lilly, ‘why you do this?’
‘You know why, Lenski.’
‘We help you. We give you safe place yes? We do this. We give Billy the safe place.’
‘You have boys with guns dressed in black clothes,’ Lilly replies, ‘you have people cowering at the back because they’re too afraid to do or say anything…you have the people that gave us this safe place locked in a room with nothing to eat or drink…’
‘Okay, we can talk about this,’ Maddox says soothingly, ‘let’s just keep our voices down yeah.’
‘No I will not. Please someone inform Mr Howie that they can come out now.’
‘Lilly, this is too dangerous. What if they’re infected?’
‘Then I am also infected,’ she says clearly, ‘Nick has been with them the whole time and I have kissed him, and if I am infected then perhaps it is best to drop this grenade and…’
‘No no,’ Maddox interrupts forcing his tone to remain calm, ‘we can do some tests and…’
‘What tests?’ She asks, ‘what tests can be done?’
‘I don’t know…’
‘No, Maddox. You don’t know. You are four years older than me. Even the doctors don’t know what tests they can do. We have no idea of anything yet you choose to lock away the very people that have given us this freedom. Let Mr Howie know he can come out.’
‘Lilly.’
‘Let Mr Howie know they can come out!’
‘We will, but can I just say…’
‘ONE…’
‘Okay, take it easy…’
‘TWO…I will drop this grenade on three and kill us all.’
‘HOWIE… COME OUT HERE…easy now, Lilly.’
She clutches the grenade and waits, her eyes flicking from Maddox to the youths watching and the armoury door beyond them.
‘MR HOWIE,’ she yells, ‘COME OUT PLEASE…’
‘Darius?’
‘Right here.’
‘Go get Howie.’
Lilly scans the area, tracking Darius as he crosses the open ground to the armoury door which he knocks soundly. Once. Twice. He waits and knocks again. Lilly feels her heart rate going up and her arm trembling from squeezing the grenade so tightly but not daring to loosen her grip even a little.
Darius pushes the door open and calls out, he waits and calls again.
‘No one there,’ he shouts across to Maddox, ‘someone get me a torch.’
One is found and taken over and the youth flicks the beam on and into the armoury where he sweeps it over the central room, the table and the broken chair on the ground. He takes a tentative step inside, ‘Mr Howie…it’s Darius…Lilly is holding a grenade…Mr Howie? Clarence? I’m not armed…’
He creeps forward step by step and points the torch to all corners. Room to room he goes with his own heart hammering in his chest as the first beads of sweat roll down his
forehead.
On the last room he stops and spins round, mouth hanging open and a creeping sensation crawling up his spine. He checks again, more thoroughly this time. Checking, looking, staring.
Finally he exits and stops dead a few feet from the door, ‘they’ve gone,’ he says simply.
Lilly twitches at the news. She checked the door every few seconds and there was no way they could have got out in that time.
Maddox stays quiet and watchful, his mind spinning with the variables at play. That Lilly was creating a distraction but like her he kept a watch on the door of the armoury and knows they couldn’t have got out.
‘Check again, take more in with you,’ Maddox orders to buy time, ‘where are they, Lilly?’
She doesn't reply but grips the grenade and thinks furiously, ‘get Lani out here please.’
‘She is sedated,’ Maddox says quietly.
‘Then bring her out sedated.’
‘Lilly, where did Mr Howie go?’
‘I am still holding this grenade and I will still drop it.’
‘They’ve gone,’ Maddox shrugs, ‘what now? Kill everyone for the hell of it?’
‘They have not gone,’ Lilly says, ‘this is a trick.’
‘Darius? Are they in there?’
‘Nothing, Mads,’ Darius walks free from the armoury, ‘seriously, spooky as fuck in there, I swear down…’
‘Where, Lilly?’
‘You tell me, Maddox.’
‘Where, Lilly?’
‘Bring Lani out here please.’
‘No.’
‘Bring Lani out here or I will drop this grenade.’
‘Do it,’ Maddox says in a dangerously low tone, ‘drop the grenade,’ his intelligent mind swarms with the confidence that the power play is back with him. Too many questions but you deal with what you got right in front of you and right now he stares across at a frightened fifteen year old girl with holding a grenade in a trembling arm.
She listens intently. Eyes closed. Breathing normally. The muscles of her stomach were sore from the tazer barbs but the pain, like the pain elsewhere in her body, faded quickly. Did they sedate her? Probably. She woke up so that must mean they injected her with something. Whatever it was wore off quickly and she had the sense to remain conscious but inert. Listening to the sounds around her and daring only to peek through her eyelids when the voices of the doctors had receded.
