Rise

by Victoria Powell

  “Zoe, I’ve got a dozen kids to look after,” Emma said, harassed. “On top of that, there are another half a dozen people acting as a drug baron’s packhorses. Where can we set up the medic station?”

  Zoe kicked the dirt. “Emma, I don’t care right now. Set up where you want.”

  “This place,” Emma gestured wildly. “It’s a death trap. There’s glass everywhere.”

  Zoe walked off. Emma would find a solution. “Marcus, just make us a list of what needs fixing.”

  Marcus shrugged, completely exasperated. “Wait until Toby gets here.”

  “And Martyn?”

  Marcus paced off to examine the backrooms. “I doubt he’ll notice. Martyn’s head isn’t right.”

  Zoe let him go and turned back to the people streaming through the main doors. They had lost a lot of kit in the move - all of the sleeping mats, a lot of the kids teaching stuff - but the foods and clothing would have travelled safely in the emergency packs. For now, the place needed securing, clearing and organising. Only then could they consider scouting for replacement resources.

  Before everything else, she needed to placate Martyn and Toby. There was no way Toby would understand why she brought them here instead of taking them half a mile further to the site in Middle Meadston. Time was of the essence and this wreck of a building would do for a week or so.

  Barney came crashing through the door and swept across the floor, searching for Zoe. He made eye contact and dashed towards her.

  “You need to get the news on! It’s already live,” Barney said.

  “Barney, we don’t have a screen here yet. It wasn’t a priority,” she said, sarcastically despite knowing the urgency.

  Barney scowled at her. “They caught them, down in the cellar network.”

  Zoe staggered, then grabbed Barney and dragged him away from the incoming crowd. “How do you know that?”

  Barney lowered his voice. “I went into Tower Lane. There’re news screens down there. I needed to know.”

  Zoe shook her head. “What if you’d been caught? They’d have found this base.”

  Barney went on, “They said they caught Anthony and Alex. They showed Anthony’s body.”

  “No footage of Alex?” Zoe asked.

  Barney shook his head.

  Zoe sighed. “I don’t know what Martyn would do if they showed her like that.”

  Barney looked across the room anxiously. “He needs to know.”

  “You don’t understand how connected he is to that girl,” Zoe said.

  “Martyn is a lot like Toby,” Zoe squirmed at Barney’s comment, “you need to be honest with him or he’ll never trust you again.”

  They both paused and watched the people coming into the base.

  Zoe turned sceptically to Barney. “You were on the rooftop when the base was hit, right?”

  Barney nodded. “I saw the police gathering around the base and raised the alarm.”

  Zoe dithered before asking. “How do you think the police found us?”

  Barney shrugged and shuffled his feet. “That’s not for me to think about, is it? I can’t be thinking that one of our own gave us up.”

  “Nobody was missing that night?” Zoe asked hopefully.

  Barney shook his head. “No.” He paused. “We were actually lucky everyone was at the warehouse when we escaped. Toby’s plan to cut across the roofs worked really well. The police didn’t even glance at the small gap over the back alley as we passed. The reinforcement of the back door meant the police were shouting and cursing loud enough to cover our escape. It really couldn’t have gone better... Apart from leaving Alex and Anthony behind.”

  That was right, it was a mostly successful escape. “So, whoever ratted us out did not know about the roof access.”

  “That doesn’t narrow down the suspects much. I didn’t even know!” Barney said. “Anyway, as soon as Martyn was up the stairs Toby blocked the roof exit. The kids were already across the bridge.”

  “You must have hung around quite late in the evac to see the staircase blocked off.”

  “I helped, then ran on ahead. Toby was having trouble getting Martyn away from the roof. I left a few guys to help with that. I’ve never seen Martyn like that before. It scared the shit out of me,” Barney said.

  There he was. The subdued leader was walking stoically through the doors with a ragged Toby trailing behind, being supported by two burly men. Something wild still prickled in Martyn’s eyes. His next call to action could be a heroic act of leadership or a devastating tribute of martyrdom.

  Barney pointed up at the roof. “There’ll be no chance of a roof escape at this base. That roof won’t even hold for a cat.”

  Zoe scowled at him. “Just go find something useful to do.”

  26 - The Waitress

  A bear sat on the table. Its brown glossy hair and the pink bow around its neck gave it a well-cared for look. The glass eyes and pert ears seemed alert and eager. To Nina it was only a plush toy, but to Alex it was a reminder of the vast separation between them.

  She sank into the bed, enfolded by the cotton sheets on the single bedframe. Nina’s childlike disposition was superimposed on the walls where the pink striped designer wallpaper was covered intermittently with movie posters. A couple of posters were crumpled up in a wastepaper bin near the desk.

  In bustled the girl, carrying a plate of food and a glass of something fizzy and clear.

  “Eat up,” Nina insisted, putting the plate and glass down onto the bedside table.

  The girl paused patiently until Alex lifted a sandwich square off the plate. Satisfied, Nina spun around to swing open her wardrobe.

  “I’ll find you a nice dress and something pretty to put in your hair. Oo, I am going to make you look amazing!” Nina squeaked like a child with a new doll.

  Alex swallowed quickly. “No. No, I need something plain. I need to blend in. Something hard-wearing. A good pair of jeans, some trainers and a t-shirt.”

  With her balloon swiftly popped, Nina flicked through her wardrobe again and paused on a grey, ankle-length shift dress. “I don’t know.” She hesitated. “I could make you look pretty.”

  Trying not to grit her teeth, Alex relaxed and said, “Just plain. Something really boring.”

  Nina flicked past the dress and pulled out a blue tunic. She crossed her arms. “I hate that top.”

  Despite herself Alex smiled. “Then nobody will notice if you don’t wear it again.”

  Nina shrugged and sank down into the desk chair.

  What was Alex doing here? She glanced around the teenager’s prim room again. “Are you sure nobody will come into the flat for a while?”

  Nina nodded. “Yeah, my mother and grandmother are on shifts downstairs. They won’t be able to get away right now.” Nina blushed. “I’m supposed to be helping them.”

  Alex didn’t ask why she was not on shift. “How long have we got?”

  The girl got up and paced a bit. “A few hours. Eat up. It’s Ok. I’ll get you a bowl of water to wash up.”

  Nina left Alex with another question on her tongue. There were a dozen questions waiting to be answered. She filled a basin with warm water, dipped a flannel into it and a bar of soap. All of the childish thoughts of pampering Alex were gone. Alex needed to blend in, to look normal. The awful truth was the most normal thing Alex could do was to get a job.

  Nina knew someone who needed a maid.

  Alex lifted her eyes. “Oh, thanks.” She smiled defencelessly.

  Nina put the bowl down on her desk. “I’ll give you a few minutes.”

  “Thanks,” Alex called after her.

  Leaning against the hall wall to steady herself, Nina thought through the next steps. She could convince Alex to get a job and blend in for a few weeks. No problem.

  Alex called through the door.

  The Ackerson was newly smocked with her hair twisted up into a bun. The style was completely reverse from her usual flare, she looked like a worn housewife.
Alex slipped her coat back over the top.

  “Whoa. You can’t go already,” Nina protested, panicked.

  Alex smirked. “You’ve given me food and clothing. I’m now squeaky clean and ready for a fight. I have to get as far away from here as possible before the cops get on my trail.”

  Nina blocked the doorway. “But you haven’t heard my plan yet!”

  Alex folded her arms and glared at the girl. “Move.”

  “Hey!” Nina said, affronted by Alex’s harshness.

  Alex stepped forwards into Nina’s space. “You’ve been really nice to me, but I don’t know you from Adam. All I know is you’re acting really shifty now and trying to stop me leaving.”

  “It’s Ok. I’ve found you a safe house,” Nina said.

  Alex growled in frustration. “You’ve what! I can’t stay in a place you’ve found. Have you been shouting your mouth off to people?”

  Nina stepped back. “No. I just know of somewhere.”

  “If I stay somewhere you’ve found the cops would trace me back to you. You’re putting yourself in danger,” Alex explained slowly.

  “I don’t care,” Nina said. “You need to hide out for a few weeks. I know a blind man who needs a maid. He’s really isolated. You could stay there.”

  “As a maid?” Alex scoffed. “Are you mad?”

  Nina smirked back. “Don’t you think you can pull it off?”

  Alex stepped back, considering her options. “This is stupid.”

  “You have to do it. You’d just be helping out a blind man for a bit,” Nina urged.

  “Even a blind man can figure out who I am,” Alex said.

  Nina shrugged. “It’s possible, but I doubt it. He doesn’t get out much.”

  Alex rolled her eyes.

  Nina let go of the doorframe and ushered Alex back to sit on the bed. “Look, I’ve got an aunt called Lady Lorenta Sama. She’s high up in some social circles and she knows this guy. He’ll take on anyone she recommends.”

  *****

  Nina’s skin was itching. Somehow Nina, Lady Lorenta Sama, and the well-known illegal Alex Jenkins were all sat in a stranger’s living room waiting for a job interview. Alex, now going by the name Lizzy Bates, looked just as nervous as Nina. She felt a pang of guilt, knowing that Alex only knew half the story. Poor Lorenta was even more in the dark, not even knowing she was sitting next to a notorious activist.

  The cook had let them in. The woman was portly, but very agile. The intense old woman had not uttered a single word. Nina got the impression that the woman was a mute, which jarred against her knowledge that she was in a blind man’s house. Most people must assume that the old maid had been the nexus of communication between the cook and her master. There was something about her that Alex didn’t trust.

  Lady Lorenta laid her hand delicately on Nina’s to stop her fidgeting. “No need to be nervous, my dear. Mr Simons may have a reputation for being fierce, but he’s really quite a gentleman.”

  Nina straightened her position in the chair and stared steadily at the door.

  Lady Lorenta turned her attention to Alex. “So, Miss Bates. What do you think of the house?” Lorenta waved at the Victorian-style sitting room. “I’m very sorry you have to see it in such a slovenly condition, but I suppose that’s why you’re here,” she tittered.

  Whatever the cook did about the house, she certainly had not cleaned since the maid ... disappeared. It had only been a couple of days, but already the carpet was in a state and teacups were stacking up on a side table. If the man of the house had any honour he’d want to hire a new maid, although this was probably not the usual way for him to go about it.

  “Thank you for doing this for me, Lady Sama.”

  The Lady’s brilliant smile matched the colour of her pearls. “If there is anything I can do to help then just ask.”

  Time was passing. They had been kept waiting for nearly twenty minutes. Lorenta was looking decidedly impatient for a lady.

  Nina was pulled out of a disturbing reverie by the sound of the front door slamming. Immediately on edge, her senses heightened and her nerves spiked as she heard muffled shouting from the hallway. The sounds continued. A male tenor voice aimed at someone on the other side of the door. Suddenly the shouting stopped. No footsteps. Heart pounding sweat beading on her palms.

  Long seconds passed before the door opened. In walked a middle-aged blond man with a white cane tipped with a silver head. He hovered in the doorway, almost seeming to scan it vacantly. Nina noticed his knuckles whiten on the cane head. Her eyes were locked involuntarily on it.

  “Mr Simons,” Lorenta said, trying to sound courteous, but definitely sounding nervous. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you again.”

  She paused, waiting for recognition.

  “Um,” she continued hesitantly. “I am Lady Lorenta Sama, we’ve met a several times over the past few years.”

  Mr Simons grunted in recognition. “At one of those onerous parties, I’m sure.” He stepped over to an armchair and seated himself facing the formal sofa that the three women were squeezed on to. “To what do I owe the honour?”

  Lorenta bristled, probably at the knowledge that several of those parties had been hers. “I am here with my niece, Nina, and this young lady, Miss Lizzy Bates.” She paused momentarily, waiting for polite recognition. “We are here to approach you regarding an upcoming position in your household.”

  That caught his attention. He sat further back in his seat and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Yes, a position for a maid?” Lorenta continued.

  “And where would you have heard that?” He asked curtly.

  Nina squirmed.

  Lorenta turned anxiously to Nina. “My niece....”

  “I heard a customer mention your maid had left,” Nina answered.

  Silence descended.

  Mr Simons nodded calmly. “Well, there may be an opening. It has not been advertised yet.”

  Lorenta sighed with relief. “Now there is no need to advertise. Miss Bates here has experience as a maid and is looking for a position.”

  Nina glanced quickly at Alex, then at Mr Simons.

  The sleek aristocrat sat there and seemed to analyse the prospect. “Experience as a maid?”

  Lorenta replied, “Yes.”

  He smirked at them. “Miss Bates, how much experience do you have?”

  Nina looked desperately at Alex. The older girl coaxed herself to speak. “A little work for a family in Drayton and some work as a waitress.”

  Mr Simons held the smirk on his face. “And now you want to come and work for a blind hermit? Seems a bit odd.”

  Alex did not respond.

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-one,” she lied. Lorenta gave her a sideways look.

  “You’re young,” Mr Simons said with derision.

  “But she’ll learn. She’s a quick study,” Lorenta said.

  Mr Simons raised his hand to stop her. “I think myself and Miss Bates can manage from here. Thank you.”

  “Oh,” Lorenta said.

  “Mrs Roberts will show you out.” He waved towards the living room door, which ominously opened.

  Lorenta jumped to her feet. “Well, I. Thank you for your consideration, Mr Simons,” Lorenta said before dragging Nina from the room.

  Nina glanced back at Alex. She was plain to read. Alex had no idea what had just happened.

  27 - The Leader

  The TV fuzzed in little multi-coloured digits. Shifting cells sketched out the form of a man and a woman sitting to attention on a red sofa. The poor signal blurred their faces, but their voices purred into the room.

  “The Ambassador will be conducting his annual inspections of the city later this week.” The reporter’s blond curls bounced as she turned gleefully to her male counterpart.

  He nodded and continued, “Police Commander Swanson warns citizens to be alert for any signs of illegal activities during this time. The official warning has been
issued – peace must prevail during the Ambassador’s visit.” He was still smiling broadly, although something faltered momentarily on the edge of his eyes.

  His colleague cleared her throat mirthfully. “The city needs a clean bill of health this year. Exports of technological products have increased, compensating for the fall in packaged food production. Tax increases will be announced to protect the populous from the recent spate of illegal activity and to pay for improvements to the city walls.”

  The image flickered as they moved on to a promo for the upcoming snooker tournament.

  The Ackersons sat in silence. Stuck inside the ramshackle warehouse, they were still waiting for news about Alex. They had no idea where she was. Martyn almost mute, thinking and re-thinking rescue plans and burning them up. Each more ridiculous than the last.

  The TV was switched off and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

  Marcus clapped his hands together making everyone jump. “So, what are we going to do for the Ambassador’s visit, then?”

  “Buy ourselves a bomb proof shelter,” Jamie Timms suggested above the oncoming titters of disapproval.

  “Marcus, are you mad?” Zoe said. “If we try anything we don’t just risk Alex and ourselves, we’ll destroy the entire city!”

  A lot of voices murmured agreement.

  “But he’ll be dead. That’s good enough for me. Maybe if we plan an attack properly we could keep him alive and blackmail ourselves out of the city. Martyn’s good at that type of plan, eh Martyn?” Marcus turned to his friend for support.

  There was a long pause. The leader’s grey tinted face lifted slowly. “I used to be,” he stuttered. Martyn walked away to his bed mat on the ground.

  “Come on, Martyn! Do it for Alex!” Marcus urged him back to the group.

  “She’s already dead, Marcus. Just let it go.” Martyn rolled onto the mat and lifted a sheet over his head.

  Debbie turned the television back on to one of the kid’s channels that showed a few old-fashioned cartoons. The kids piled in and the adults got up to go about their duties.

  “Zoe.” Toby pulled her back as she turned to leave.