Colony B Box Set

by Michael Campling

  Siobhan tugged at his sleeve, and he looked up. If she tells me to turn them down, I’ll have to agree with her, he told himself. I owe it to her. I owe it to her generation.

  “Dad, it’s okay,” Siobhan said. “We can’t fight them. We have to put the settlement first.” She gave him a smile, and Connor saw the echo of his wife’s wisdom in his daughter’s eyes.

  Helen will be waiting for me at home, Connor thought. And Calum too. Then he took a step toward Lyndsey, his hand outstretched. “You have my word. We won’t hinder you in any way. You’ll never see us again.”

  Lyndsey took his hand and shook it. Her grip was firm. “And I’ll make sure the rescue mission comes through. You can count on it.”

  “I hope so,” Connor said. “There are over three hundred people up on our hill—men, women, and children. Their lives are in your hands.”

  Lyndsey nodded. “I understand.” She released Connor’s hand and turned to Kyrksen. “We’ll return to truck one. Alec will pilot truck two and take Connor and his crew back to their vehicle. But before we go, I want you to break out some supplies. Food, water, medical—whatever you can spare. Anything except rifles, understood?”

  “Certainly,” Kyrksen replied with a sour smile. “Anything else?”

  Lyndsey pursed her lips. “Yes. Find them some spare comms equipment. Something with a long range. I want to make sure we can keep in touch.”

  Kyrksen’s smile vanished. “Spare comms? But–”

  Lyndsey cut him short with a wave of her hand. “I don’t want to hear it, Kyrksen. Just do it, all right? And make sure you give them something that works. I’ll be checking it over myself, so no stupid tricks. If their comms gear breaks down, I’ll be sending you to repair it in person.”

  Kyrksen turned away and marched toward the back of the truck, muttering something under his breath, and Connor noticed a hint of mirth in Lyndsey’s expression. “I guess I’d better bring my crew inside,” Connor suggested.

  “Yes, and I’ll take Sue and Thaddeus over to truck one,” Lyndsey said. “I won’t send them with you, they’ve been through enough.”

  Connor winced. “I’m sorry for the way they were treated. That was never the plan.”

  Lyndsey looked him in the eye. “There is no moral high ground here, Connor. We’ve all done things we regret. I’m just grateful that you and I could find a way through. But, for the record, I would never have allowed anyone to harm Siobhan. I hope that’s understood.”

  Connor glanced at his daughter and for some reason, although he knew he should say something, he couldn’t find the words. He cleared his throat. “I’d better go and get the others. They’ll be wondering what’s going on.”

  “Be my guest,” Lyndsey said. “But please, have them leave their rifles outside. And they’d better hand any personal weapons over to Alec. He’ll return them to you when you get back to your vehicle. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but in the circumstances…”

  Connor dipped his chin. “I understand. I’ll see to it myself.”

  “Thank you.” Lyndsey heaved a sigh. “Right, I’d better see what’s keeping Kyrksen with that comms gear.” She strode toward the back of the truck, and for a few seconds, Connor watched her remonstrating with Kyrksen.

  “We did our best, Dad,” Siobhan said. “We tried to make a difference. I guess we went about it the wrong way, but at least we tried.”

  Connor looked at his daughter, and his heart swelled with pride. If the settlement had a future, if it was really possible to build a good life up on the hill, then it would be down to strong-minded young people like Siobhan. Where there’s life, there’s hope, he thought. And surely, with people like his daughter in the mix, the settlement had a shot at success. “You’re right, Shiv. One hundred percent. We tried.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Now, let’s get out of here. Let’s go home.”

  CHAPTER 14

  The Hill

  High above the settlement, Calum crept up the slope until he was alongside Phoebe on the crest of a ridge. Phoebe lowered her binoscanner and gave him a disapproving look. “Calum, I told you to wait with the others.”

  “I know,” Calum said, “but everyone’s getting kind of edgy. They want to know what’s going on back home.”

  Phoebe made a noncommittal grunt. “It’s not good.” She hesitated and glanced back down the slope to the dip in the rock where everyone was sheltering from the cold breeze. They’d gathered as many patrol team volunteers as they could before heading out to regroup, and some had brought family members, so although they numbered twenty-five, the group included a handful of teenagers. “You’re friends with Erin, right?”

  Calum nodded. “Sure. Why?”

  “How’s she holding up?”

  Calum shrugged. “Same as the rest of us. She’s kind of worried, but her mom’s with her, so she’s okay.”

  “Yeah. I’m glad Tessa brought her along. She’ll be safe with us.”

  Calum took a breath. “You know, some folks are saying we shouldn’t have run. We should’ve stayed and faced Mac down.”

  “Really? You saw them marching out from Mac’s house. He’s put a goddamned army together. We were lucky to get so many of our people out while we could.”

  “You guys have pistols though. You could’ve stopped him.”

  “And start a firefight in the middle of the settlement? Is that your idea of a plan? Because I’ll tell you this, that would’ve been a great way to get innocent people killed.”

  The blood rushed to Calum’s cheeks. “That’s not what I meant. If we’d stayed, Mac wouldn’t have shot at us. He’s a loudmouth bully, but he hasn’t got the balls to—”

  “You’re wrong,” Phoebe interrupted. “Mac just shot someone, right in front of everybody, and it’s not looking good. I think…” She stopped talking and pressed her lips together tight.

  “What? Who is it?”

  Phoebe shook her head, but again, her eyes went to the group below, and when Calum followed her gaze, he understood why Phoebe had asked about Erin. “Oh no. Was it her dad? Was it Matt?”

  “Yes,” Phoebe replied, and as she spoke, her face twisted in anguish. “The goddamned idiot! He went for Mac and got gunned down, right in the middle of the square, and nobody did a damned thing to stop it. Nobody!”

  Calum stared down toward the settlement, and for a full ten seconds, neither of them said a word.

  “I’m sorry about what I said before,” Calum began. “You were right. We couldn’t have stayed. But we’ll think of something. You and John are smart. You’ll figure out what to do.”

  “We’ll make this right, Calum. I promise you that. But listen, don’t say anything about Matt. Not yet. He might just be hurt. We can’t be sure.”

  “All right. But what are we going to do? We can’t just wait, not now.”

  Phoebe lifted her binoscanner and scanned the settlement before replying. “We keep moving. We’ll travel light and move fast. We’ll take Mac on, but we’ll choose the time and the place, understand?”

  Calum nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe we could get Mac to come outside the settlement.”

  “He’ll come looking for us, don’t doubt it. In fact…yes. Three assholes moving out right now.” She lowered her scanner. “Come on. I have to talk to John.”

  Calum followed Phoebe down the slope, and when they reached the others, everyone watched them with expectant eyes.

  “It’s like we thought,” Phoebe said. “Mac’s staging a full-blown coup. They’re well-armed, and from what Alan saw at Mac’s house, it’s a safe bet they’ve raided every store we had.”

  “How many guys has he got?” John asked.

  “I counted thirty plus Mac, all with rifles,” Phoebe replied. “But don’t rely on that figure—there may be more in reserve.”

  John frowned. “We’ve just done a count, and we reckon we have enough sonic pistols for everybody, but only seventeen of us have any training.”


  “We’ll have to even the odds somehow.” Phoebe looked from John to Calum and back again. “I know you won’t like this, but I think I’d better take the youngsters through the basics.” She carried on, speaking quickly to head off any argument. “Hopefully they won’t have to fire a shot, but this is a volatile situation, and if they do need to protect themselves, I’d rather they didn’t shoot themselves in the foot.”

  “All right, but we can do that later,” John said. “We’ve been here too long already.”

  Erin’s mom, Tessa, raised her hand. “Where are headed?”

  “I’ll take us around the hill on the far side of the lookout. It’s rough terrain, but we’ll be out of sight. We’ll circle around, then we’ll drop down to the fern bank. But I have a job for a couple of you.”

  “What do you need?” John asked.

  “Mac’s sent three of his goons up the hill. Looks like they’re heading to the lookout, so they’re probably gunning for John and me. I need someone to take them out of action and grab their weapons. They’re carrying rifles, and we could put those guns to good use.”

  “I’ll go,” John offered. “We can set up an ambush.” He looked at Tessa. She was smart and tough, and she had the experience for a task like this. Tessa had worked the security detail on The Phaeron, and she’d been one the first patrol team leaders. She’d given up her leadership role a while ago, blaming a hip injury she’d sustained in a fall while on patrol, but John didn’t doubt her fitness; she had more drive and energy than people ten years her junior. “Tess, are you up for this? I’d sure appreciate it.”

  Tessa nodded. “I’m in. But we’ll need to work this out carefully. We’ll have to get in close and stay out of sight. If we get caught in the open, their rifles will beat our handguns every time.”

  “No problem,” John said. “I know just the spot.”

  “That’s settled then,” Phoebe said. “Good luck. Do your best, but no heroics. And, John, I’ll…see you later.”

  John exchanged a look with Phoebe. “You bet.”

  “Good. Right.” Phoebe brushed her hands together. “Okay, people, time to move. Follow me and try not to leave a trail.”

  She started walking, and it seemed to Calum that Phoebe was looking everywhere but at John. For a second, a flicker of regret rippled through him. He’d wanted to bring his mom up onto the hillside, but she hadn’t been at home and there’d been no time to look for her. Stay safe, Mom, he thought, then he fell in alongside Alan and followed Phoebe onto the slope.

  ***

  John leaned against the huge boulder, waiting, listening to the rhythmic crunch of footsteps on the path that led up to the lookout. Beside him, Tessa crouched as motionless as the rock that provided their hiding place. They hadn’t been waiting for long, but they’d had a chance to form a plan on the way, and John was ready. He exchanged a look with Tessa, taking in the steely determination in her eyes. He could rely on her. One hundred percent.

  John focused on the faint sounds made by his enemies: the rustle of clothing, the labored breaths, the dogged tramp of boots on the gravelly path. When he’d taken up position, he’d risked a peek down the path and snatched the briefest glimpse of the group. He knew they numbered three, and now, he visualized their every movement, tracing their exact route in his mind. His fingers tightened on the textured grip of his pistol. And then he heard something that sent a chill down his spine.

  The voice was little more than a murmur, but carried on the breeze, every word was crystal clear:

  “Matrix One, this is Matrix Two. We’re approaching the lookout. No sign of the targets as yet. Radio silence from now until the job’s done.”

  John threw Tessa an urgent look and mouthed the word, “Comms.” Then he adjusted the power setting on his pistol, increasing its strength. Tessa followed suit without needing to be told, and he knew they were on the same page. They couldn’t take any risks. Their only chance of success was to strike fast and move out, clearing the area before Mac had time to respond. They couldn’t allow Mac’s people to call in reinforcements, and that meant taking them all down within a split second and making sure they were too busy hurting to say a word.

  Tessa tapped John on the arm, then she held up three fingers, then two. One.

  John stood, his pistol raised in a two-handed grip, and aimed at the man bringing up the rear of the group. Without hesitation, he fired two shots in rapid succession. The first slammed into the man’s shoulder, the second into his chest. The man spun around, arms flailing, then he fell, landing slumped over a boulder. At John’s side, Tessa must’ve fired at the same time. John saw one man down already, but the other target, a woman, must’ve managed to dodge in time. She’d been wounded and her rifle was on the ground, but she was still standing. She snatched a pistol from its holster and brought her weapon up, her hand shaking. John felt a stab of pity, but Tessa had no such qualms. She fired three times, and the woman was thrown from her feet. Like a rag doll, she crumpled to the ground, her arms and legs splayed at unnatural angles. She did not move.

  Tessa darted forward to check the targets, her weapon held at waist height. Hardly knowing what he was doing, John followed her example. The man he’d shot was gasping for air, his breath rattling in his throat. John recognized the guy as Danny, a young man who’d been turned down by the patrol team more than once. Danny had a gift for rubbing people up the wrong way, and in the confines of the settlement, his antisocial behavior had quickly earned him a bad reputation. But Danny wasn’t in any shape to irritate anyone. His eyes were screwed tight shut, his mouth stretched wide open in agony. “It’s your own damned fault,” John muttered. “You should choose your friends more wisely.” He pulled the comms unit from Danny’s belt, then he took Danny’s pistol from its holster. The young man’s rifle lay on the ground, and John snatched it up, holstering his own pistol at the same time. Danny grunted, then he curled into a fetal ball and vomited on the ground, the effort lending livid color to his face and neck.

  John checked on Tessa. She was disarming the other two, working with brisk efficiency, her expression set in a mask of grim professionalism. “Okay, Tess?”

  “Sure. I got Rob and Lou over here. Rob’s okay apart from losing his lunch, but Lou is out cold. I hit her pretty bad.”

  “She pulled her gun. There was nothing you could do.”

  Tessa shrugged. “Maybe. Anyway, I’ve got their comms and weapons. Is your guy okay?”

  “He’ll live.”

  “Did you take his earpiece?”

  John frowned. “I must’ve missed it.” He leaned over Danny. Tears were streaming down the young man’s cheeks, but John wasted no time in retrieving Danny’s earpiece, and after wiping it on his sleeve, he fitted it to his own ear. A hiss of background static told him the device was working, and he allowed himself a smile. We’ve got your comms, Mac. Anything you do, we’re going to know about it.

  “Ready to go?” Tessa asked. She slung one rifle over her back, running the strap across her chest, but held the other weapon at waist height.

  “Yeah.” He gestured toward the prone form of Lou and noticed that Tessa had rolled her over, leaving her in the recovery position. “Is she going to be okay?”

  Tessa looked doubtful. “Probably. Best I can do. We need to catch up with the others.” Then, without waiting for confirmation, she started walking.

  John took one last look around, making sure he hadn’t missed anything, then he followed Tessa, taking powerful strides to catch up with her. That went like clockwork, he told himself. Couldn’t have been much better. But a nagging uncertainty lingered in his mind and made him uneasy. They’d acted decisively and achieved their objectives, but the people they’d taken down weren’t strangers, but neighbors. And if they carried on like this, each side chipping away at the other, what chance did the settlement have? What future would there be for his son to inherit?

  As if reading his mind, Tessa stopped walking and turned to face him. “You know, this
is all Mac’s fault. He’s turned our people against each other, and he’s the one we’ve got to stop.”

  “Absolutely,” John said. “Mac has to go. That’s the only way to put this right.”

  CHAPTER 15

  The Hill

  Calum weighed the sonic pistol in his hand and extended his arm, sighting along the gun barrel at an imaginary foe, selecting a spot among the tall ferns that covered this part of the hill and concentrating on keeping the weapon steady. Phoebe had shown him the basics, and anyway, he’d handled a sonic pistol before; his dad had sometimes taken him up onto the slope behind the settlement for target practice. This was different though. This time he wouldn’t be aiming at rocks, but at people he’d lived alongside for years.

  “Feels weird, doesn’t it?” Alan asked.

  “Yeah.” Calum looked over to where Alan was experimenting with the two-handed grip Phoebe had shown them. He checked his pistol was in safe mode then picked his way through the ferns and stood at Alan’s side. “Do you think…I mean…do you think you’ll be able to do it?”

  “We’ll have to,” Alan said. “But it’s not like we’re going to kill anybody. Phoebe turned the power down, so unless we do something stupid, we’ll just be giving them something to think about.”

  “I know.” Calum forced a smile. “I hate to think what my dad would say about this.”