The Hunger Rebellion

by G F Cusack

  Barry had hoped for perhaps two of the four bombs to be placed before he was caught but this was going better than expected. He had only one bomb left and there was a chance that he could set the timer and escape, clear and free.

  As he walked towards the large set of stairs, something seemed off. They had been briefed that security would be intense upstairs but there shouldn’t be this much downstairs in the open area. More security people were around here than expected, checking bags. You even had to pass through a security barrier before you could reach the stairs.

  When he looked to Anya and Gabe, their faces appeared strained. These were not two people who were always smiling but they generally seemed happy with their lot.

  Maybe the telepaths normally felt superior because of their powers. At the moment, thought, they didn’t look superior.

  Gabe looked to be in pain. Both were holding their hands to the sides of their head. This drew the attention of men in grey overalls, who began heading towards the mind readers.

  Suddenly Barry had his own problems. A young man and woman had interlinked one hand with each other. They were pointing their free hands towards him.

  More armed men in grey overalls were moving but this time towards Barry. They reminded him of the security guards in his own Sanctuary but these people had different triangle emblems on their shoulders.

  Barry was unsure what to do. Should he abort the mission? He noticed that grey-clad men now stood at every door, stopping anyone from leaving. He had a decision to make. There was a good chance that he was going to get shot by one of the many armed men. If he was taken alive, they would no doubt torture him.

  Everyone gave in to torture eventually and if he was considered a traitor, his family would likely suffer. Barry wasn’t a coward but he was a survivor and he had many thoughts running through his mind, all at once.

  His hand was on the timer in his pocket. It had a button that automatically set the timer to go off after twenty seconds, as a fail-safe for bombers who thought they were likely to be captured.

  Barry decided that he had no choice. Placing the parcel on the floor, he pressed the timer as he walked away with the rest of the crowd.

  “Oy you, pick up that parcel!” someone called out to him.

  Deciding that his priority was to get as far away from the bomb as possible, Barry continued to walk away, without turning around.

  “Stop, stop,” he heard. Barry didn’t slow his pace. He hoped that he would be far enough away to be safe. Perhaps the blast would be enough of a distraction to allow him to escape.

  “Stop, stop or I’ll shoot,” he heard. Perhaps the voice was talking to Gabe or Anya? He knew in his heart that it wasn’t.

  Suddenly there was a loud bang and Barry felt a searing pain in his left shoulder. The impact made his body spin around. As he began to crumple to the ground, he could see someone holding a pistol in both hands and pointing it at him. The man had a startled expression on his face and it was obvious that he was the shooter.

  Before Barry had time to hit the ground, there was a blinding flash. The ear-shattering bang was the last sound that he heard before he was engulfed by the explosion.

  Sanctuary Series Book Two will be available early 2020

  Acknowledgments

  For every minute a writer spends writing a book, there are others providing more time in support.

  I’d like to thank my amazing siblings (Trish, Pete & Teresa) for always providing positive support.

  I’d also like to acknowledge the fantastic efforts of my editor Tanya for turning a rough draft into a better book for the reader.

  Kudos to my cover designer Sara for turning a vision into a reality.

  About the Author

  Ged is a child of the sixties and has always been passionate about reading, learning and all forms of knowledge.

  He served for over twenty years as a British Army Royal Engineer, relocating to New Zealand after completing his final tour of Iraq in 2004.

  Since entering civilian life he has embraced new challenges including:trading foreign exchange currencies and other financial derivatives on international markets, building Amazon businesses and later leading a team rebuilding Canterbury after a major earthquake.

  His wealth of experience contributed to him becoming the author of six non-fiction books.

  The Hunger Rebellion is book one of his Sanctuary Series, his first published fiction, a dystopian world that he has been nurturing in his mind for many years.

  Ged finds inspiration living in the stunning countryside of the South Island of New Zealand, where he enjoys breathtaking views of the Southern Alps.