by Eliza Green
She and Greyson met up with Ben and Isobel.
‘Isobel,’ said Jenny, ‘take Ben back to Waverley now. Check on your people.’
Ben’s eyes widened. ‘What’s happened? Is Albert okay? Is it Kevin? Shit, tell me.’
‘There’s some trouble at Waverley. I don’t know what.’ Jenny gripped Ben’s shoulders. ‘Explain to Albert, Sal, whoever you trust. Tell them what we plan to do with the communication devices. If Isobel succeeds in convincing just one of the Indigenes to drop them off, Albert will need to arrange for someone trustworthy from each neighbourhood to collect them.’
Ben frowned. ‘You’re not coming?’
‘We’re right behind you, but don’t wait for us. I need to speak to Greyson in private. Don’t delay. Go.’
Ben hesitated. ‘When you get inside Waverley, head to a junction and take a left. The tavern is just up the road.’
Jenny nodded and watched as he ran after a fast-moving Isobel.
Greyson walked with fists clenched as Jenny filled him in on everything that had happened in DC. He only unclenched them when she finished.
‘Do you think Isobel can convince the others?’
‘It’s safe to say we no longer have the protection of anonymity anymore, so I hope so, Grey. I really do.’
☼
Jenny and Greyson arrived at Waverley to find the gates unmanned. The guards beyond the gates wrestled with people attempting to leave. As they neared, Jenny overheard the guards talking to each other.
‘Marcus doesn’t want anyone leaving. Just keep them occupied. They’ll run out of air soon enough.’
While the guards were distracted, Jenny and Greyson slipped through the gates. They came to the split in the road that Ben had mentioned, and took the left road. A short distance later, a medium-sized red-brick building came into view with a sign saying Lee’s Tavern. A frozen Isobel stood outside. A small crowd had gathered close by, and Ben’s shock of black hair stuck out from the middle.
Jenny spotted Sal close by. ‘What’s going on? What happened here?’
Sal seemed to have aged since the last time they met. ‘I’m afraid you’ve caught us at a bad time.’
‘Albert. Where is he?’ said Jenny, but she had her suspicions.
‘Marcus has taken him and the lad Kevin.’ Sal tried to keep her voice even.
‘Where?’
‘To the old Deighton Mansion in Astoria Park. He referred to them as “collateral” for the debt.’ Sal slipped her arm around Ben’s shoulder. ‘And up to a few moments ago, we all thought he had taken Ben, too.’
Isobel was staring at something on the door. Jenny stepped in for a closer look but Greyson identified it first.
‘There’s blood on the door frame.’
Ben broke free from Sal’s embrace. ‘Is it Albert’s blood? Tell me!’
Isobel shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’
Jenny turned to Greyson. ‘We need to get them off the streets. We need to move to Plan B.’
‘Plan B?’ said Sal.
‘Is there somewhere private we can talk?’ said Jenny. ‘We may have a way to get the factions off your back once and for all.’
‘I’m all ears,’ said Sal. Jenny sensed her anger beneath the poise. Sal urged the crowd to go home or wait inside Albert’s tavern where there was air. It didn’t matter where, she said. As long as they didn’t waste precious oxygen from their canisters by standing out on the streets.
Jenny, Greyson, Ben and Isobel followed Sal across a large square with an obelisk to a small cottage nestled between two giant apartment blocks. They followed her inside and stood in her tiny kitchen. Sal offered them something to drink, but they all refused. Everyone sat down, except for Ben and Isobel. Ben and Jenny took turns to explain what had happened at the World Government offices.
‘I had hoped Albert could coordinate the dissemination of the communication devices to the other neighbourhoods,’ said Jenny. ‘After Isobel has had a chance to convince the devolved Indigenes to help, that is. If we are to take control, we will need their help. So far, we only have access to the criminal factions’ life support in the New York area, but if we can let others know about our success here, we may be able to replicate the efforts elsewhere. We didn’t have a lot of time at the World Government offices. We had to divert control to whatever we could in the short time we had.’
Sal rested her chin in her hand as she listened. Her gaze slid over to Isobel. ‘You said you received a message while you were in DC. What did it say?’
‘Nothing specific,’ said Isobel. ‘It was from one of the Indigenes near the World Government offices, letting me know they were listening. I think they’re waiting to see what we do.’
‘Taking control of the life support for the buildings occupied by the criminals is only a temporary solution,’ said Greyson, leaning forward. ‘As soon as we switch it off, the factions will know we have access and target the neighbourhoods.’
‘So we stop them,’ said Sal.
‘It will only work if we have a coordinated effort. We need the other neighbourhoods in New York to act fast and cut off the places the factions might go to seek refuge. That’s why we must gain their trust, get the communication devices out to them, so they’re prepared for when they come calling. The criminals will be after supplies, oxygen, residential properties unaffected by the attack. If we can cut off all access routes, their oxygen supplies will be depleted.’
‘Then what?’ said Sal.
‘Well, that’s up to the people who live here,’ said Jenny. ‘Either they allow the factions to die or weaken them enough to capture them. That’s a decision for the residents to make.’
‘Nothing would make me happier than to see every last King dead,’ said Sal.
‘Then there’s the Fortress,’ said Greyson. ‘It will need our protection now. Hayes will speak to the other medical facilities, tell them how to connect remotely to the World Government computer and take control of the life support in their areas. Now that the virus is inactive, it will be a lot easier. But this plan will only work if the neighbourhoods are on board.’
Jenny nodded to Isobel. ‘Isobel will try to convince the Indigenes to take as many communication devices from the factions as possible and drop them off in secure locations where a trusted volunteer group from each New York neighbourhood will pick them up. If our plan succeeds, then we pass on the details of the plan to other regions. Olsen, Robinson and Hayes have gone back to the medical facilities to confirm they have control of the life support. When everything else is in place, Hayes will send instructions through the DPads to advise the neighbourhoods when she will initiate the shutdown.’
‘A good plan, if it works.’ Sal nodded. ‘You did more than we could have on our own.’
Jenny glanced at Isobel who appeared deep in thought. Ever since Robinson had removed the disc from her neck, she’d been slipping into regular trance-like states.
‘What are the other Indigenes saying?’ said Sal.
‘I’ve tried to talk to them but they don’t trust me, yet,’ said Isobel. ‘I need more time.’
‘Stop!’ Ben pushed off from the counter. ‘We’re wasting time talking about this. We need to get Albert and Kevin back.’
‘He’s right, Jenny,’ said Greyson. ‘That’s our first task. Waiting around for the Indigenes to get on board, for the neighbourhood to get up to speed or the Fortress to confirm they have control... It will take too long. They’ll be dead long before that. Marcus will see to it.’
‘Isobel, can you sense anything?’ said Sal. ‘Where Albert and Kevin might be?’
Isobel concentrated for a moment. ‘They’re in the mansion in Astoria Park, that much is clear. I can sense the thoughts of the Indigenes there. There’s a lot of commotion. They are confused.’
‘You should stay here with Ben and try to convince the Indigenes to help,’ said Jenny. ‘Let’s use the confusion to our advantage.’
Isobel shook her head. ‘It won’
t work. They already think I can’t help them. If I got close to another Indigene trapped inside the mansion, I might convince them that my promises are more than words. When they sense my presence and realise I risked my life to contact them, they’ll know it’s more than an empty gesture.’
Jenny considered that idea. It was a risk to let Isobel come, but if there was a chance to succeed with her, she needed to take it.
‘Okay. We’ll get some volunteers to come with me, Greyson and Isobel. Ben should stay here with Sal.’
‘Sorry, not happening,’ said Ben. ‘If it wasn’t for me, Isobel wouldn’t even be helping you.’
Sal rocked with laughter and touched Jenny’s arm. ‘Lady, I know you’re new to Waverley neighbourhood, but clearly you don’t know how far Ben will go to get his way. Albert gave in to his demands a long time ago. And to be honest, he couldn’t function without his help. None of us could. So if he’s decided to go, he’ll find a way.’
And didn’t Jenny know it. Finding Ben in the back of the car had been a shock. Greyson laughed into his fist, and Jenny threw him a withering look.
‘Fine. I guess we’re all going, then. Any strong people in Waverley who can help us?’
Sal laughed louder. ‘You’d be lucky to get old men and women, or teenagers. Stick with the older generation. The teens are not trustworthy. They work for the Kings, mostly.’
‘We’ll take what we can get. How quickly can you assemble a team?’ said Jenny.
‘We’ll start straight away,’ said Sal. ‘We should pick carefully. Nobody with ties to Marcus.’
‘Well, I can help on that front,’ said Isobel. ‘My senses are sharper since Robinson removed the disc from my neck.’
They settled down in Sal’s kitchen and devised a plan to rescue Albert and Kevin.
33
Ben convinced the others that he and Sal knew Waverley best, and Isobel would determine who sympathised with the Kings and who would help rescue Albert and Kevin from the old Deighton Mansion.
In Central Square, several volunteers waited; he and Sal had identified them as the most likely to help. They agreed Isobel would stand off to the side at first, and dig a little inside their thoughts. Ben wanted to weed out anyone motivated by revenge that would harm their plan to rescue Albert and Kevin.
A different vibe existed in Waverley. Until now, most people had carried their fate on slumped shoulders. But the issues with life support and the recent murders had injected them with a new sense of purpose. The residents stood tall.
Ben and Isobel walked the length of the twenty volunteers while Jenny and Greyson looked on. Isobel nodded to some, and discarded others. Sal pulled the rejects out of line. By the end, they had five volunteers, all from the group of Italians living rough on Albert’s floor. That didn’t surprise Ben. The only one who spoke English in the group translated for the rest. Maybe it was better that the rescue group was small, to avoid arousing suspicion.
‘Looks like we have our team,’ said Jenny, examining the group. ‘All we need now are weapons.’
Ben hunted alongside the other residents for anything he could find: metal bars, pieces of wood, lengths of rubber from old tyres, bedsheets torn into long strips. Thanks to Jenny and Greyson, they also had two Buzz Guns. To preserve the canisters, they hauled their finds into the school and sorted them there.
‘Metal is the strongest weapon we have here,’ said Greyson, hunkering down beside the pile and picking up a length of metal piping. ‘Wrap as much as you can in rubber, then use the sheets to bind it. A strong electrical current surrounds the immediate grounds around the mansion. It will electrocute you without the rubber to ground you.’
The work to make weapons distracted Ben from the fate of his adopted grandfather and brother. But when the work ended, his fears returned. He hoped they weren’t too late.
Greyson collected the makeshift weapons, fifteen pieces of metal in total, all varying lengths, covered with rubber. Greyson handed them out to the volunteers. He and Jenny each slipped a Buzz Gun into their waistbands.
Greyson stood. ‘I’ve called for a car to pick us up. If everyone is ready, we should get going soon.’
☼
Greyson, Jenny, Ben, Sal and Isobel travelled with the five volunteers by car to Astoria Park. A large wall surrounded the area, and the car stopped just outside a gated entrance on 19th Street.
They slipped past a rusted gate close to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and walked alongside an old swimming pool that had been backfilled some years ago. The park was nothing but a barren wasteland of rolling brown grass hills and cracked concrete paths. Newer buildings, mansion-sized, stood close to Shore Boulevard.
The group approached Hell Gate, an old railway bridge that had collapsed in the middle. The remains—a dull brown metal structure sat on two wide and stout concrete supports—loomed over the site of the old Deighton Mansion. Ben had never seen the mansion before. The grey rectangular concrete building with its many windows looked creepy as it peeked out over a high stone wall.
They headed down an old approach road that must have once been lined with trees, and stopped at a spot between the two concrete struts of the Hell Gate Bridge, in what used to be the East River. According to World Government documents, the old Deighton Mansion was a replica of the Barclay mansion that once sat close to the site.
They approached from a southerly direction. Ben noted the gaps in the outer wall where stones had been piled, as if someone had dismantled it. Other buildings stood close to the west side of the mansion, and they moved to that side for better cover.
They slowed down as they neared the outer wall. Ben gripped the rubberised metal pipe with both hands. He saw the distorted air that indicated the start of the force field. A steady sting of electricity nipped at his skin.
‘We’re here,’ said Isobel. She stopped and cocked her head to the side. ‘Where?’
Ben looked at Sal who shrugged.
Isobel approached the wall at the back of the property. ‘Follow me.’
They followed her, keeping low. Ben looked through a gap in the outer wall and saw the back door of the mansion.
‘The force field is weakest here,’ said Isobel, holding her hand out as Jenny and Greyson stood either side of her.
Isobel flinched when she touched the field, as she had done in the tunnels below the World Government offices.
‘No, I can’t. It’s still too strong,’ she said, as if answering a silent question.
Ben realised she was talking with someone inside the building. Another Indigene presumably, as he couldn’t hear the other person. She responded out loud, possibly to let the others know she’d found an ally inside the Kings’ headquarters.
‘Can you weaken it enough so they won’t notice?’
She kept her hand raised against the force field. ‘A little more. I can feel it slipping.’ She dropped her hand to her side. ‘Yes, that should do it. Thank you.’
Isobel explained, for those who had never experienced it, what walking through a security force field would feel like. It would be more aggressive than the atmospheric force fields like the one around the tavern.
Ben didn’t wait for her to finish. He pushed through, and the field’s sting knocked the breath out of him. The weapon in his hand that he held away from him attempted to absorb the electricity. This force field felt more powerful than the one in the tunnel. If this was what weak felt like, he’d hate to experience it at full strength. He made it through the other side and shuddered.
‘We need to split up,’ said Jenny when they were all through. ‘Otherwise they’ll catch us too quick.’
She and Greyson separated the numbers into two groups of five. Ben was with Greyson and Isobel. Sal was with Jenny.
‘We should look for alternative routes inside,’ Jenny said to Greyson. ‘I don’t fancy going through the front or back doors just yet. They may not be expecting us but I still don’t want any surprises.’
Greyson pulled Jenny in f
or a brief kiss. ‘Be careful.’
‘Always.’
Jenny’s group disappeared to the right while Ben and Isobel followed Greyson to the left.
Isobel pulled Ben back so he walked beside her. ‘Stay close to me. I’ll need you to tell me it’s Albert I sense when we get closer.’
Greyson pressed up against the wall of the mansion and shimmied along. The others copied him. They crouched low as they reached a large window and rounded the corner. A door on the east side came into view. Greyson tried the handle but it wouldn’t open.
‘The door on the east side is locked,’ Isobel whispered. ‘Can you open it for us?’
‘Who are you talking to?’ said Ben.
Isobel bent her head and spoke so fast, he almost didn’t catch it. ‘There’s someone in the control room who has access to the security systems.’
‘Can they get us in?’ said Greyson.
‘He says he can’t override the door controls. We’ll have to find another way in. He says there’s a window around here that will lead us into the basement.’
Ben looked around but could see no obvious basement windows. He spotted an uneven bump in the grass a short distance from the back door, at the foundation level. He stuck the tip of his weapon into the ground and dug. The dirt was loose. The others copied him, using their crudely constructed weapons as digging tools. The top of a window frame came into view.
‘It must have been buried years ago, or they just dumped fresh soil here for some reason,’ said Greyson. He knelt down and raked his fingers through the earth. ‘It’s too clumped to be fresh.’
Jenny rounded the corner with her group in a half-crouch. ‘There’s a door on the west side, but it won’t budge.’
‘We found a way in.’ Greyson pointed at the partially uncovered window.
‘This may have been buried for a long time,’ said Sal. ‘They might not know it exists.’
