He shrugs. “Evidence. Of our contract. In case you change your mind once the raid is over. Dane would be very interested to see this. He’s already got his eye on you for being too clever. Sees you as a threat. Come on, just here.”
When I press my index finger on the point he indicates the screen flashes green. “Great, that’s sorted. I’ll be in touch in a day or two with your first job.”
I grab his arm as he turns to leave. “And the raid will be a success?”
He looks pointedly down at my hand and I release my grip. “There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be. As long as you can get to the guards quick enough. You’d better get a move on. They may need your quick mind tonight.”
And with that, he walks off into the dark. I lean back against the wall, trying not to breathe in the fetid smell from the rubbish pile, and wonder what the hell I’ve got myself into.
* * *
I catch Jay before he reaches the meeting point in the northern part of Area Four. It’s started raining again and from the rumblings in the sky, a proper storm is on the way. There’s still a couple of inches of water in the street that hasn’t drained away and the mud underneath makes for a slippery surface, even with the studded soles of my boots. In a covered archway between two buildings, a group of scrawny beggars try in vain to light a fire. I don’t envy them.
Not all those who live on the streets are illegal. Some just can’t find shelter anywhere else. People guard their homes jealously, however small and cramped they may be and there aren’t enough apartments out here for everyone. I’ve done my time on the street and it’s the pits. I’d rather die than go back.
The gang has congregated in a side street, around the corner from the depot. They mill around chatting and comparing their weapons. Knives mostly. A few weighted sticks with nails or fragments of glass hammered in. Only Dane and a couple of the more senior members have earned the right to guns. And can afford them.
“This way.” Jay tugs on my arm and I spot Dane beckoning us from a doorway. We follow him up a narrow staircase to the roof. Rich is waiting for us, along with the new guy, Peder.
We join them at the edge of the roof and look down on the Area Four depot. The depots are used to store food, medical and educational supplies to dish out to the people living Outside. Dane reckons they also store confiscated weapons there, and the high-tech weapons that the Metz use. He’s probably right about the confiscated items, but I doubt the Metz keep their stash of guns there. They’ll be locked away on the other side of the Wall.
The depot itself is a big warehouse with a side building that houses the control point for the guards. There’s a large concrete area between the buildings and the barrier, part of which is marked as a pod landing point. That’s how they bring most of the goods in – aerially, by pod. But they use battered, old-fashioned, electric land vehicles to distribute them. Which is why there’s a set of wide, metal gates set into the barrier.
Surrounding the barrier is a thirty-metre exclusion zone. Jay told me about a gang member who tried sneaking across once, to see if he’d make it through. He did, but the barrier killed him instantly. Just like the Wall.
“Okay, this is the plan, guys.” We gather around Dane. It’s the first time I’ve ever been included in a discussion of this sort. Perhaps he really does believe I have the genetically-enhanced brains of an Insider. “Peder’s got a way to take down the barrier around the depot. We’ll then run in three groups; Rich, you’ll come in from the back, and Jay and me’ll lead others in from the front. We’ve been watching the building all day and reckon there are four guards in total. The others went off an hour ago. There’s usually one patrolling outside, so we’ll need to grab him and use him to get into the building to reach the others.”
“Are there guns on the roof?” Rich asks, squinting over his shoulder at the building. He looks out of place in the Snakes, Rich. His pale skin and cropped, red hair stand out from the crowd.
“Two that we can see,” Dane replies. “We’re not sure if they can shoot out into the exclusion zone. From what we can tell, they don’t cover the whole area and once we get into the building, we can shut them down.”
I wish I shared his confidence. But he’s right that they seem to be mainly reliant on the barrier to keep people out. Of course, that’s because it’s damn effective.
“So how do we get rid of the barrier?” Rich asks.
Dane looks at Peder, who starts, as if he wasn’t expecting to have to speak. His eyes flick to Dane who gives him an encouraging nod.
“Well, I heard a rumour when I was in Six that the depot in Area Ten got overrun when there was a freak power failure. The barrier is somehow powered by electricity, so if you can cut the supply, it’ll go down. The main electricity supply is run underground from Inside the Wall. They have solar panels as a backup, but there’s limited storage and with the weather we’ve had they won’t be able to power much more than the lighting. Definitely not enough juice to keep the barrier live.”
His voice grows more confident as he talks through the plan. He almost has me convinced.
“But if it’s underground, how do we access the cables?” I ask.
He smiles shyly at me. “They’ve been doing some repair works over the past few days. I don’t know what the problem is, but I’d guess it’s something to do with the rain we’ve been having. It may have made the ground unstable. Or perhaps they’re replacing some of the wires. Anyway, they built that shed two days ago and have been digging out a trench. I reckon it was supposed to have been finished by now, but as it’s New Year, everyone is off. They still haven’t filled the trench so the wires will be exposed. That’s why it has to be tonight. There won’t be another opportunity.”
The lights on top of the metal towers that form part of the barrier point outwards, so I can see the building he’s referring to. It’s a rough shed in the exclusion zone, ten feet from the barrier. Beside it is a mound of earth.
“Surely they wouldn’t leave something like that unguarded?”
“It’s locked which would keep most people out, but it won’t stand up to explosives. I guess they figured it’d be alright for a day. If they put guards outside, it would just draw more attention to it.”
I nod. He’s right.
“So we have two runs with the explosives. One to get the shed and the second to blow up the cable.”
“And the cable can definitely be destroyed?” Jay asks uncertainly.
“No reason why not if we create a big enough bang.”
“Okay, good plan. Any questions?” Dane is itching to get going.
The plan kind of makes sense. There’s a whole load of things that could go wrong, but it might just work. Surprise will be the key.
“One thing,” I say and feel everyone’s eyes on me. I take a deep breath. “The guards will be focused on watching that shed. At least, I would be, if I was them. Maybe if we can create an explosion or some distraction on the other side. Near the main gates perhaps? So they’ll be looking the other way when we blow up the shed.”
There’s a pause then Dane speaks. “Good idea, Aleesha. Rich – can your guys throw some bangers around?”
“Sure.”
“Great. Let’s go.”
Dane gives me an odd glance as we walk towards the stairs. I’m not sure what it means, but I remember what Irish said, about him seeing me as a threat, and I feel suddenly afraid.
4
The bangers go off on cue. There’s no way of knowing if they’ve had the desired effect, or if the depot guards assume they’re early New Year celebrations. As the final explosion dies away, a dark figure runs towards the shed.
The rest of Jay’s group are waiting out of sight behind me in a narrow street that runs at an angle to the exclusion zone. There are fifteen or so, mostly guys. The youngest is a boy who can’t be more than ten or eleven; Jay, the oldest at twenty-three.
The shed shatters with a bang. I glance over at Jay, but he’s staring intently acr
oss to the next street along, where Dane is hidden. Waiting for his signal.
The flames have barely died away when another figure runs forward and throws something towards the remains of the shed. I keep my gaze on the barrier, not wanting to lose my night vision completely. There’s another explosion, larger than the first. Then something happens that I’ve never seen before. The barrier flickers. Just once. Then it’s back again, as strong as ever. It didn’t work.
There’s a shout from Dane. The figure runs back out, hugging another set of explosives. He gets closer this time, shielding his face from the heat with his arm. A rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire rips through the air. His body jerks like a puppet doll and falls to the ground. At the last moment, he throws the package into the flames. The explosion is blinding. White light steals my vision. The ringing in my ears deadens all other sounds. When I can finally see again, the barrier has gone.
For a second there’s silence. Then Dane shouts something and black clad figures begin to swarm from the side streets, running towards the depot.
“Go!” Jay yells beside me and we join them.
My legs move automatically, carrying me across the exclusion zone as I try and take in the scene ahead. Dane is the first to cross the line where the barrier was, passing between the metal posts without pausing. Jay is quickly gaining on him. He’s the fastest runner in the gang by far.
The first shots ring out. A lone guard stands outside the depot with his weapon pointed out at us. He must have been on patrol when the barrier went down. Then, as if he finally realises what he’s up against, he runs towards a door set into the smaller building. He opens it just as Dane opens fire. Bullets ricochet off the bunker walls, but a couple reach their mark. The guard slumps to the ground. His body props the door open.
The rat-a-tat-tat noise starts again. Then a faster, higher-pitched rattle. A stun gun. There’s a scream from my left. I sense someone close to me falling to the ground.
The guard’s body starts to move. I can picture his companions on the other side of the door, frantically trying to get it closed; to lock themselves in. But they’re too slow. Jay reaches the door and yanks it open, firing inside. Seconds later more figures swarm in, jumping over the dead man, or trampling him underfoot. There are shouts from inside. More shots.
I pause outside the door to catch my breath. My chest heaves as I try and gulp in more air. Must. Train. More. Others are also standing with their backs to the wall, waiting for orders. The roof-top guns have stopped.
Bending, I grab the guard’s boots and try and pull his body out of the doorway. It feels wrong to walk over him. Disrespectful. Plus, he’s blocking the doorway.
He’s heavier than he looks and my legs strain with effort. There’s a grunt behind me and someone grabs his right boot, pushing my hand away.
“Thanks,” I gasp.
“S’okay,” the voice replies. Together we pull the guard out and lay him alongside the wall. His head is twisted awkwardly to one side and his eyes stare out sightlessly towards the city. I gently close them. Be at peace.
I find Dane and Jay in what seems to be the main control room for the depot. There are large screens on every wall and a flat, polished black table at one end. In front of it, Dane and Jay stand with their guns pointed at a cowering guard. A second guard lies to the left of the door, a pool of blood forming on the floor beside him.
“Open the doors!” Dane sounds angry.
The guard shakes his head. His whole body is vibrating. With fear, I guess. I’d sure be trembling if Dane was holding a gun over me. I wonder how long he’s been holding out.
Jay glances around and notices me. “Hey, can you figure out how this thing works? There aren’t no buttons or nothin’.”
I run my hand over the black surface of the table. There’s a bleep and an image appears in the air above the table. I jump back with a start as I recognise the face of the President.
“Password please.”
It’s his voice. The voice I’ve heard countless times on the screens. My chest tightens and my feet are frozen to the spot. Can he see us?
A second later it hits me what it is, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s just an image,” I say, seeing the shock in Jay’s eyes. “It must be to access the system to control the doors and gates.” The table could be a larger version of the device Irish had. I wonder how it works?
I look at the terrified face of the guard. “Do you have to speak a password to get in?”
He nods.
Dane gives him a kick. “So what is it? Last chance.”
“I, I can’t …” The man’s voice trails off. His eyes dart from side to side like a rat caught in a beam of light.
“Fine.” Dane puts his gun in his pocket and pulls out a knife. The blade glints blue. He grabs the guard’s hand and plasters it to the vertical edge of the table. The blade of the knife rests on his middle finger.
“Wait!” The guard screams. My nose wrinkles as the smell of fresh piss fills the small room.
Dane pauses. “Go on.”
The guard takes a deep breath. “P-password M52F63Y.”
The rotating figure of the President pauses. “Password accepted.”
He disappears to be replaced by an intricate model of the whole depot area. Flashing dots move around, like ants on a rubbish heap. Most of them are red, but there are two blue dots. One is surrounded by three red dots. That must be our guy. The guards must be the blue dots and the rest of us are red. The other blue dot looks to be outside the control room.
“Now open the goddamn door to the warehouse.”
The guard stays silent. His whole body is shaking. Dane runs out of patience. In a flash of movement, he brings the knife down. The guard screams.
“The door. Unless you want me to go through the rest of them. One by one.”
The guard sways slightly, staring at the blood running down his hand.
“Main door. Activate and open,” he says weakly.
The outline of the warehouse door lights up. From outside come cheers and shouts of triumph. But I’m still staring at the second flashing blue dot, trying to align the model with the layout of the building. I look around. There’s a door on the far wall. It’s half hidden behind a large screen but looks like a store cupboard.
“What’s behind that door?”
The guard looks up at me. “Nothing. Storage.” He’s lying. I can see it in his eyes.
Jay walks over and gives the door a shove. “It’s locked.” He presses his ear to the plastic. When he turns back, his face is angry. “There’s someone in there.”
Dane bends down so his face is in front of the guard’s. “What is behind that door?” He presses the tip of his knife under the man’s chin.
To my surprise, the guard smiles. A sickly, defiant grin. “Backup booster.”
Dane looks puzzled. “Backup what?”
But the guard refuses to say anymore. His eyes are starting to glaze over; his body going into shock. I don’t know what a ‘booster’ is. It sounds like some kind of weapon. But the word ‘backup’ worries me. What if Peder was wrong about the barrier only having one power source? If it goes live again now, we’re all screwed.
Dane stands and pulls out his gun. “Sod it, I’ve had enough.”
“Wait!” I narrow my eyes at the guard. “Open the main gates. The gates through the barrier.”
Dane frowns at me. “But the barrier isn’t there anymore. What do the gates matter?”
“Just do it.” I hesitate. “Please.”
Trembling, the guard complies. On the rotating model, the outside gates begin to open. I breathe a sigh of relief. At least if the barrier does come up, there’s another way out.
A shot rings out, loud in the small space, and the guard slumps to the floor. I close my eyes, fighting the nausea that’s been building up inside me. So much death.
“You okay?” I jump at the touch of Jay’s hand on my arm. “Come on, let’s go check out the supp
lies.”
Once out of the control room, the air tastes cleaner and my head clears a little. In the warehouse, the gang are breaking open crates of supplies and starting to move them away from the depot.
“Take whatever you want, okay?” Jay grins at me, his teeth gleaming white in the dark. Then he runs off into the chaos, shouting orders.
The lighting in the warehouse is dim, but I make out a pile of crates with a familiar red cross on them towards the back of the room. The first one I crack open is full of rolled bandages, packets of pills and ‘mini-Medics’; a scanning device that tells you what’s wrong with you. I stick one in my small backpack, along with a selection of bandages and some of the vitamin pills. They’re a bugger to get hold of as an illegal.
Finally, at the bottom of the third crate, I find what I’m really after. Packets of white powder. Tronk. Used to try and wean addicts off the drug as part of the government’s ‘rehabilitation’ programme. I grab a handful, more than I’ve ever had in my possession before. With the chits I can get for this, I’ll be rich.
Food next. The crates tower above me, stacked neatly in tiers. The backpack soon fills with bottles of water, protein bars and a couple of interesting looking items I haven’t seen before.
A scream cuts through the background noise, followed by shouts of panic and confusion. Beside me, two guys drop the crate they were carrying and run out to see what’s happening. I follow, tripping over boxes of food and discarded crates. Outside, people are running across the yard. Others stand around, waiting for someone to tell them what to do.
Behind them shimmers the barrier. It glows red against the night sky, like a wall of fire. Two sections are up. There’s still time to get out. As I watch, a third section, between the next two masts, materialises as two of the younger gang members are crossing the threshold, clutching a food crate between them. They crumple, only their legs visible on this side of the barrier. The crate falls, discarded, to the ground.
Where’s Jay? He was at the back of the warehouse, though perhaps he sneaked past when I was raiding the crates. Frantically I look around, but he’s nowhere to be seen. There are shouts to my left; Dane is rallying people around him. I run over and elbow my way through the crowd.
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