The Perimeter

by Shalini Boland

  As this was happening, a figure came hurtling toward the fence from behind FJ’s vehicles. He wore a guards’ uniform, and I realised it must be one of our guys from the toppled vehicle. But he was on the outside and the gates were shut.

  It was one of Pa and Eddie’s friends, a guard called Ethan who had been with us since before I was born. A nice guy. Quiet and hard-working. As he flung himself against the locked gate, he wore an expression of fear and defeat. The guards inside were trying to get the gates open once more, but if they did that, there was no way they’d get them shut again in time to stop FJ’s vehicles getting in.

  Ethan must have realised what would happen and he shook his head at them, yelling at them to leave it, but they continued to fumble with the lock. There was no escape for him now. Nowhere to hide – he was blocked in by the fence and cut off by the approaching vehicles. With a grim smile, he turned his back to us and faced the enemy, charging at them, spraying bullets uselessly into the armoured vehicles. Two seconds later he was dead. I covered my mouth to stop myself screaming. They’d shot him down.

  I turned away, unable to believe what I’d seen. He had run toward his death to stop us opening the gates for him and putting the rest of the perimeter in danger. But there was no time to mourn Ethan and his sacrifice. I had to find out what had happened to Luc and Eddie.

  Two guards climbed down from the first cab and two from the second, neither Luc nor Eddie among them. My hands began to shake and I thought I might throw up. What if Luc was in the overturned vehicle? Trapped out there among the hostiles. Rita ran toward the two trucks, calling out for her family.

  And then I saw him.

  I saw him.

  He clambered down from the back of one of the trucks, blood cascading down the side of his face. Had he been shot? Rita got to him first.

  ‘Thank God,’ she cried. And then, ‘Eddie?’

  But Luc shook his head, and I had to stand by and watch, as he wept in his mother’s arms for his dead father.

  * * *

  It took some skillful driving to avoid crashing into the fence. The gates swung shut only seconds before Jamie and his army reached the perimeter. But at least they’d managed to take out two of the enemy’s trucks.

  Jamie tried to slow his breathing, using the chant to calm him and channel his thoughts. Their main army was still a way behind. They would have to pull their vehicles back and wait for them to catch up. Perimeter guards had already begun firing on them and although they were in armoured vehicles, there was no point waiting here like sitting ducks.

  ‘We should pull back,’ he said. ‘Wait for the rest of our . . .’

  ‘No,’ Matthew cut him off. His eyes glittered with excitement. ‘We are here now and we will get what we came for.’

  But then a hail of bullets began to rain down on the vehicles, deafening and relentless.

  ‘Please, Sir,’ Jamie said. ‘Let’s just pull back out of firing range, or we’re not going to survive this.’

  * * *

  No time to dwell on the horror of what had just happened. We were under attack. As our guards scrambled to withdraw behind the inner wall, about thirty to forty enemy vehicles parked up outside the fence and began firing with assorted weaponry. Several of our men were hit and had to stagger to safety. But then our guards began returning fire from the parapet, driving the enemy back. In all the confusion, I couldn’t see Pa. Where the hell was he?

  I turned as Rita drew back from Luc to examine the wound on his head. He put his hand to his face and stared at the blood on his fingers – he hadn’t even realised he was bleeding.

  ‘I think I banged my head in the truck,’ he said. ‘I’m fine.’

  I took a step toward them, unsure what to say. I went with the obvious choice: ‘I’m so sorry,’ I said, cringing at the inadequacy of the words.

  Luc shook his head. ‘We were almost home,’ he said. ‘Another thirty seconds . . .’

  Rita suddenly turned from distraught to livid, her face darkening to a thunderous scowl. I’d never seen her so angry. She wiped away her tears, turned and headed for the platform once more.

  ‘Rita!’ I called out.

  She turned. ‘I’ll kill them for what they’ve done,’ she said. ‘They murdered him. They murdered Eddie.’ And then she carried on walking.

  Luc looked dazed. I went to him, put my arms around his body. ‘I’m so sorry, Luc,’ I said. ‘What can I do?’

  ‘Nothing,’ he said, staring ahead in a daze.

  I felt sick for him, but he was right – there was nothing I could do to stop how he was feeling. Eddie was his father. This larger-than-life character who everyone loved and respected. A family man, a grafter, a figure of respect. You always felt safe around Eddie Donovan. And now he was gone.

  I realised the gunfire had calmed down a bit. Now that all our guards were behind the wall, the shots were more sporadic. The panicked yelling had lessened as well, turning into barked orders and muffled conversations.

  Through the gates, in the middle-distance, the cloud of dark-robed warriors drew closer. They would be here soon. And then what? We would be trapped. Surrounded. Although we’d known this day was going to come, it was a different thing altogether to be faced with it. To see a vast enemy coming across the land to kill you. I tried to clear my mind of the creeping terror and turn it to more practical matters. Like, what I could do to help.

  ‘There you are, Riley!’ Pa ran toward us. ‘I was on the platforms looking for you,’ he cried. ‘I thought you were still up there.’ He looked at Luc. ‘Is Eddie . . .’

  Luc tried to answer but he couldn’t speak.

  I dropped my arms from around Luc’s body. ‘Eddie didn’t make it,’ I said to Pa. ‘He was in the lead truck.’

  ‘Son of a bitch,’ Pa cried, his face contorting. ‘I’m sorry, Luc,’ he said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He took a moment and then turned to me. ‘Where’s Rita?’ His voice was gruff, brimming with emotion.

  I jerked my head up toward the platforms.

  ‘And your Ma?’

  ‘Still at home,’ I replied. ‘Liss and Anna are at Luc’s. They’re under guard.’

  ‘Good. They all need to stay there. You need to join them too, Riley.’

  ‘I’m more useful here. Put me up on the platforms. I can take out some of those vehicles.’

  ‘Listen to me, Riley,’ Pa said. ‘And listen hard.’

  I bit my knuckles and listened.

  ‘FJ wants to kill you,’ Pa said through gritted teeth. ‘He wants to take you from here and he wants to kill you. So get your ass back home now before I order the guards to tie you up and take you there by force.’

  ‘Fine,’ I said. I was shaking, but whether it was from shock at Pa’s tone, from the loss of Eddie or from fear of FJ, I wasn’t sure.

  He turned to Luc, speaking more softly now. ‘Go with her. Make sure she does what I say. And get that head wound looked at.’ Pa glanced over his shoulder at the scene through the gates and I followed his line of sight. The swarm of warriors was almost here, blotting out the landscape, dark cloaks billowing into a white sky. A low drone accompanied them. I recognised that sound – it was their warrior chant and it sent shivers through my already ice-cold body.

  Then came a single voice, cutting a swathe through all the other sounds. A voice which demanded to be heard. Everyone in the perimeter fell silent and listened to the calm, measured words being spoken. Amplified into the air through a loud speaker.

  ‘Return Our Father, James Grey, to us.’ A pause and then, ‘Send out the girl, Riley, to account for her sins. Then we will leave.’

  The sound was distorted but even so, I recognised that voice. It was FJ. He really was here in person and he wanted his revenge. To hear my name spoken like that was the most chilling feeling in the world. Liss had said her brother hated me, but it hadn’t sunk in how much, until now.

  Pa’s face turned white. Luc gathered me into his body as though he could protect me fro
m the words.

  FJ wanted two people.

  Grey was dead. So that left me.

  If I gave myself up, I could stop the attack.

  I could save the perimeter.

  ‘Go!’ Pa cried. ‘Back to the house as quick as you can.’

  ‘But, Pa . . . What about FJ’s demands?’

  ‘That was FJ’s voice on the loud speaker?’ Pa said.

  Luc and I nodded.

  ‘So he’s here in person,’ Pa muttered. ‘Good. That means we can sort this once and for all.’ He looked at me once more. ‘Now go.’

  ‘If I give myself up, FJ said he’ll leave the perimeter,’ I said. ‘You should send me out there.’ My insides trembled. I spoke with a lot more courage than I felt.

  ‘If you believe that,’ Pa said, ‘then you’ve a lot more to learn than I thought.’

  ‘So he’s lying then?’

  ‘I wouldn’t trust that little shit as far as I could throw him,’ Pa snapped. ‘Go back to the house, Riley. Or so help me I’ll get the guards to carry you there. If FJ gets hold of you, we’re doomed.’

  ‘Okay.’ I raised my hands in submission. ‘What will you do?’

  ‘Refuse his demands,’ Pa replied. ‘He thinks we still have Grey in here alive, so I don’t think he’ll launch an all-out attack. Thank God Liss didn’t do what FJ asked.

  ‘Go, Riley,’ he said, kissing my forehead and waiting for me to leave.

  Luc remained silent. His father had just been killed. He was in shock. I took his hand and we turned away from the perimeter entrance. Before we left, I glanced back at the guards, at the men and women gripping their weapons as they waited to see what would happen next. At least the shooting had stopped for the moment. FJ was probably waiting for his demands to be met. I worried about what he’d do when he realised he wouldn’t be getting either of us.

  As we walked back home, we passed more of our people heading for the fence and I nodded my head in greeting, feeling guilty that I was going in the other direction. All the while, Luc said nothing, his head bowed.

  Chapter Thirty One

  The air was quiet in the wake of Matthew’s demands. The warriors fast approaching. A wave of black against the snow-covered plain. Jamie and his brothers waited in their vehicles, keeping a safe distance from the perimeter gates, spread out in two rows. Inside the AV, anger radiated off The Voice of the Father.

  ‘Why don’t those people listen to me?’ he hissed. ‘They’ve seen my army. They must know they don’t stand a chance. All we are asking is for our leader to be returned to us. And for the girl to pay for her transgressions. These are reasonable demands.’

  Jamie wondered about the girl. Who was she? Matthew was losing his composure. He was probably exhausted. Their leader hadn’t undergone the same level of training as the rest of them. He wasn’t used to these conditions. Jamie realised he was the strong one now. He was the one who was needed. Matthew actually looked to him for advice. And Jamie felt strangely protective toward his powerful leader.

  ‘Did they hear me, do you think?’ Matthew asked Jamie. ‘Was the speaker turned up loudly enough?’

  ‘I’m sure they heard.’

  ‘So why don’t they respond?’ His temper rose.

  ‘Give them a few more minutes,’ Jamie said. ‘They need time to understand what’s going on.’

  ‘I’d think it was clear what’s going on – they must meet our ultimatum or face the consequences. I’ll give them ten minutes before we start to tear this place down.’

  ‘What about Our Father?’ one of the disciples interrupted from the back seat.

  Matthew turned to look at the one who had spoken. ‘Who are you to question me?’ he said, his voice deathly quiet. ‘Take down your hood.’

  The disciple lifted his hand and pulled down the thick material. The man’s face was lined with age, but had a strength about it. ‘I’m sorry,’ the man said. ‘I would never think to question you, but . . .’

  ‘But?’ Matthew pronounced the word carefully, savouring the consonants.

  The disciple shook his head. ‘Nothing. I apologise.’

  ‘But?’ Matthew repeated.

  Jamie’s heart hammered. The Voice of the Father was far more terrifying than the enemy behind the fence. He realised how lucky he’d been that their leader hadn’t taken offence at Jamie’s own questions. He wondered why that was. The unfortunate disciple quivered. His head bent in deference.

  His posture must have appeased Matthew, as he turned his face back to the front. ‘Why are these people not replying?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Jamie said.

  ‘Five more minutes,’ Matthew said. ‘Five more minutes and we attack.’

  * * *

  The snow was turning to mush already, brown smeary footprints staining the white pavements. Nearly home. What would I do once we got there? Could I really just sit around while people put their lives at risk to protect us? Maybe I could do as Rita had suggested and pack some bags. At least it would keep me occupied. As we turned into our road, I heard a shout.

  ‘Riley!’

  It was Ma.

  She stumbled down the middle of the road, trying not to slide on the half-frozen slush, holding her fake fur coat in place over her nightie. ‘Thank God you’re alright,’ she cried, taking hold of my arm. ‘Is it true? Is Grey’s army here?’

  I nodded. ‘How did you know?’

  ‘Denzil came by earlier. What should we do?’ she cried. ‘Where’s your Pa? Is he okay?’

  I nodded again. ‘He’s fine.’ I hoped she wouldn’t ask anymore questions. I couldn’t tell her about Eddie. Not in front of Luc.

  ‘Your face!’ Ma cried, putting a hand out to touch the dried blood on Luc’s cheek. ‘What happened?’

  ‘He banged his head inside the truck,’ I said. ‘I’ll clean it up when we get inside.’

  ‘It looks awful,’ Ma said. ‘You should go and see the doctor . . .’

  ‘. . . Don’t worry, Ma,’ I said. ‘I think it looks worse than it is.’ Luc rubbed at his chin. Ma’s hysteria was going to send him over the edge. I could feel it. ‘Go back in the house,’ I said to her. We’ll be there in a sec.’

  ‘Come with me,’ she said. ‘Both of you. It’s not safe out here.’

  ‘It’s fine, Ma. FJ’s outside the fence. He can’t get in.’ But I’m not sure I believed the last part. I was pretty sure he could get in. Would get in. It was just a case of how long we could hold them off for. ‘Just give us two secs alone. Okay?’

  ‘Okay.’ She hesitated before turning back toward the house. ‘I’m going to have a shower and get dressed.’

  Once she’d gone, I faced Luc, his face devoid of expression.

  ‘Luc, I don’t know what to say to make things better,’ I said, taking both his hands in mine. ‘Your dad was amazing. He died trying to make things safer for everyone. He was an incredible person. What happened was terrible.’

  He gave a small nod and then shook his head. ‘I can’t believe it’s true,’ he said. ‘How can he be gone? He’s my dad.’

  ‘I know. I’m so sorry. What . . . What happened out there? Why were you gone so long?’

  He took a breath. ‘We found the supply convoy, no problem,’ Luc said. ‘Traded them for everything they had. They wanted silver, cigarettes and alcohol, we wanted food and medicines. It was the perfect deal. Dad was so happy. We all were. We got so much stuff, Riley, you wouldn’t believe it. Enough to load up all five trucks and last us right through the winter.’

  ‘Five trucks?’ I said. ‘I only saw four coming back.’

  ‘Yeah, mine broke down. We tried to fix it, but we didn’t have the part. So we had to unload it. Pack all the supplies into the other trucks. It took ages. By the time we’d done that it was dark. Anyway, we decided to tow the broken truck, which was really slow going. It took hours. It would’ve taken days to get home at that pace, so we made the decision to get off the heathland and chance taking the main route. As soon as we h
it Ringwood, that’s when we saw them.’

  ‘Who? FJ’s lot?’

  Luc nodded.

  ‘What did you do? Did they see you?’

  ‘No. Not straightaway. We were driving without headlights. They weren’t on the main route, they were marching parallel to the Wessex Way, down along the forest path. Dad being Dad wanted to start shooting. We were up on the main road in trucks, they were down below us on foot. It was a no-brainer.’

  ‘But . . .’

  ‘But, we didn’t realise they also had a fleet of vehicles. We were too cocky and didn’t do a proper recon. We did manage to wipe out some of their soldiers, but there was like a gazillion of them. Too many for just the ten of us to take on.’

  ‘So what did you do when you saw their vehicles?’ I asked.

  ‘That’s when we cut our broken truck loose and tried to speed home. But FJ’s AVs were blocking the road, so we had to pull off the main route and make our way back the long way.’ Luc shook his head and rubbed at his forehead with his fingertips.

  I took his hand. ‘You don’t have to talk about it now if you don’t want to,’ I said.

  ‘No,’ he said. ‘It’s okay. Then it started snowing and we couldn’t see a bloody thing. Once we reached the heathland outside the perimeter, they were all there, coming at us. Their vehicles chased us all the way back. Fired some kind of RPG at Dad’s truck . . .’

  ‘Oh my God. Luc . . .’

  ‘That boy is not going to get away with this,’ he said, his face tightening, darkening.

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘He’s not.’

  ‘We should’ve ended him when we had the chance.’ His voice broke.

  ‘Come on,’ I said, pulling at his hand. ‘Come into the house. Let me clean that gash on your head and then we can work out what to do.’

  He let himself be led inside. The house was still. Just the usual hum from the genny and the faint sound of running water from upstairs. Normal morning sounds.

  Only nothing was normal.