by RR Haywood
‘Sure, I do this too…I do more every day,’ Lenski replied with a pursed mouth.
‘I can send someone else in to help you. I’ll sort it out tonight.’
‘That is a good thing, the plants they need the water, the food it needs to be done, the washing clothes is many…in here we only have a few but you have many.’
‘I got it Lenski,’ Maddox could see she was being genuine. Initially the older girls had been quiet and sullen and after a couple of days he could tell they were thinking they were being held captive and forced into slave labour. Maddox could see the problems this would cause and took them all out into the streets, showed them what was out there and said they could come or go as they pleased. Admittedly, he did take them to the roughest area where the most kills had been made and they quickly chose to remain in the safety of the compound. Since then Maddox had made it clear they could leave anytime they wished. None of them did. Lenski had taken the role seriously and guarded the food with a hawk eye, making sure her girls washed the clothes, cleaned the base and tended the plants. Maddox greatly admired the beautiful woman and despite the comments being made now, he knew she cared for the youths.
‘Is okay with me now,’ she added with a smile then looked at him thoughtfully, ‘you okay Maddox? You look tired. Many late nights no? Come and sit I make you drink.’ He followed the woman as she turned and walked through the plantation.
‘Have the crews brought much in today?’ He asked instead of eyeing up her shapely backside.
‘We get some yes, many more tins of food now. More today than yesterday. Did you ask about the garden for the crops?’
‘He said we’ll talk about it after the party.’
‘But this is July, we late for planting already. Plant now quickly. Or we do the idea I said.’
‘Lenski, the Bossman isn’t going to give up a unit for growing food.’
‘But we eat or we die. The food they bring it good but it not last many weeks. The young people they eat many times. We have the lights the water the heat….’
‘Okay I know. Let’s get tonight done then I can ask him tomorrow.’
‘Poor Maddox, so busy.’ She turned with a smile. Not being able to tell if she was genuine or being sarcastic Maddox stayed quiet. ‘You are just Eighteen no? A child. But you are a man Maddox; you are a great man the way you do this,’ she added.
‘Someone has to,’ Maddox replied quietly, uncomfortable with the compliment.
‘You lead here, you tell everyone what they do. All the day I hear Maddox say this, Maddox say that, Maddox the great,’ she laughed, a pleasing sound full of delight which made him smile.
‘All I hear is Lenski said no, Lenski said get out, Lenski said piss off,’ Maddox replied quickly. She laughed harder, whacking him on the arm with her clipboard.
‘I rule with fear you with love,’ she smiled again.
The afternoon stretched on. Another day passing slowly with crews returning to the compound, bags filled with taxed goods taken from the survivors found living on the sprawling estates. Reports of clusters of the dirty infected roaming certain streets. Crews despatched to find and eliminate them. Listening to the reports given by the chiefs, giving instructions, arranging the party for the evening and everything done with the compound going through Maddox. No signs of flustering or irritation at the constant interruptions.
The muscular teenager evolved into his role as natural leader and with each passing hour of each passing day, his aura grows. He learns quickly, developing his own easy style. Giving orders that aren’t questioned, advice that isn’t rebuked. Lenski finds she is equally busy as Maddox learns that he can’t take everything on himself and fielding more and more of the questions and requests for help to the Polish woman. A natural hierarchy developed from necessity. Capable people doing the things needed to be done. As with Maddox, Lenski develops her own style. Not as friendly or approachable as Maddox but she listens to each youth in turn and jots down on her ever growing list or sends them packing with a few words of caustic advice
It seems that every few minutes something else happens. Someone else has a question. Never more than a few steps taken in any given direction before one of the youths calls out in street language, some of them confident and coming straight to the point, others shy and shuffling nervously as they’re prompted and probed to find the problem.
Late afternoon Maddox found himself alone in his quarters. Two small adjoining offices, separated by stud walls. One of them his room, the other initially empty but then given over to Lenski as Maddox watched her develop. Knowing that by giving her a private room she would be seen as a higher up, and also serving to give her some privacy which she would value and then make sure she worked hard enough to keep. Other than the bossman, theirs were the only fully private rooms. The crew chiefs had their own tents but nothing beat having solid walls round you and a fully functioning door that could be closed. As it was, because of the sheer volume of work needed to be done within the compound, neither of them used the rooms apart from a few hours of exhausted sleep. Standing there enjoying the quiet for a few minutes, away from the hustle of the compound now full after nearly all the crews had returned he allowed his mind to settle and again started going through mental checklists of what was still to be done. Sighing he turned at the door being knocked and pushed open.
‘People at the gate,’ Lenski said simply.
‘What people?’
‘I not know this,’ she shrugged.
‘Come on,’ Maddox walked past.
‘I come with you?’ She asked to clarify but already walking next to him.
‘Yeah,’ he nodded; staring ahead at the armed youths running towards the front of the compound.
The gathered youth’s parted as Maddox waded through them, reaching the front and staring through the central section giving a view of the street ahead. Several adults were gathered on the junction where Zayden should be, looking back down at the compound.
‘Where Zayden at?’ Maddox asked.
‘Here,’ Darius pushed the youth forward.
‘Zayden, who are they?’ Maddox questioned the lad.
‘I dunno swear down, they said they wanted to talk to the Bossman.’
‘They armed?’
‘I didn’t see nuffin, no guns.’
‘Do you know them?’ Maddox asked peering through the gap and thinking they need a scaffold tower built high so they can see over the top of the gate.
‘Nah Maddox,’ Zayden answered.
‘Darius, you and me bruv, get a shotgun.’
‘I got your back Maddox,’ Darius said quickly. ‘Sierra,’ Maddox looked over to the girl, ‘you too.’
‘Open up,’ Maddox gave the order as one gate was swung open with enough room for them to step through. ‘Stay behind me,’ he told the crew chiefs. They dropped back a few steps, staying quiet and keeping their faces blank as Maddox and Lenski walked ahead.
Striding down the straight road Maddox took in the details of the adults; three men and two women all looking filthy and gaunt. Maddox recognised three of the faces from the estate and clocked that they’re not customers of the Bossman, just some of the many background people that made up the life here.
Watching the approaching foursome the group started moving towards them. Holding his hand up to warn them to stay back, Maddox asserted control of the encounter by being the one to walk to them. Already sending a clear signal.
‘Are you the Bossman?’ One of the men asked as Maddox came to a stop several metres away.
‘Nah bruv,’ Maddox answered, ‘he’s busy innit.’
‘We want to talk to him,’ the man said.
‘I said he’s busy innit, what you want?’ Maddox kept his tone blunt but his face passive.
‘Your boys are taking too much, we got nothing left,’ one of the women said, her face and hair looking filthy and bedraggled.
‘Have you seen the infected?’ Maddox asked, ‘no you don’t see them, we sorted
them so you got to pay up innit.’
‘I got kids,’ the woman blurted out, ‘they ain’t getting enough to eat with your tax taking everything.’
‘You’s all from the Oak estate innit. How old are your kids?’
‘We want to talk with the Bossman not some bloody kid,’ the first man to speak said angrily.
‘Who are you?’ Maddox glared at the man, ‘the Bossman busy so you got me, how old are your kids?’
‘Twelve and Thirteen,’ the woman replied wiping a strand of greasy hair from her face.
‘They can come here, live with us, we got plenty of food for them.’
‘Yeah ‘cos you got all our bloody food,’ the first man strode forward, his face red and flustered. Maddox sensed Darius and Sierra shifting behind him and waved his hand at his side, signalling them to stand down.
‘You got all the kids here and all the food, we need to eat too, we want our food back.’
‘Nah bruv, you get me?’
‘Get what? We want our fucking food back.’
‘Go find some,’ Maddox replied watching the man intently, his face still passive, ‘we found our food, you find yours. You pay up and we keep it safe innit.’
‘No innit,’ the man shouted, his anger exploding at the impudence of the hard faced youth staring back, ‘you’re just fucking kids playing at grownups, if we had those guns we’d be in charge.’
‘But you ain’t bruv, you stayed at home shittin’ your pants while we got this rigged up, we took the risks and got the prize… go home.’
‘You’re fucking lucky you got them shotguns behind you,’ the man raged from a few feet away, pointing and thrusting his finger at Maddox.
‘Or what?’ Maddox answered.
‘Or I’d kick your fucking head in,’ the man bellowed.
‘Go home,’ Maddox dismissed the man with a sneer, ‘tell your kids they can come and live with us. We got weed you can have but no food.’
‘Weed?’ The woman asked with a sudden interest. You ain’t that hungry then are you, Maddox mused to himself.
‘We don’t want any fucking drugs, we want food,’ the man stepped forward again. Maddox stared ahead, avoiding looking at the man but sensing his proximity.
‘Back up bruv,’ Maddox warned him.
‘Why you gonna shoot me?’ He sneered, dangerously over stepping the mark.
‘Why can’t we live here too?’ The second woman asked her voice strained and weak.
‘No,’ Maddox replied, ‘go home. You come here again and we’ll fuck you up, swear down.’
‘Right I want to speak with the Bossman right now,’ the man exploded in fury.
‘Jeff…’ one of the women said with a warning tone.
‘No, I’m not going to be told what to do by a bunch of fucking retarded chavvy gangsta kids…’ Maddox reacted quickly, crossing the distance and punching the man once in the face; dropping him instantly. No anger, but using violence and fear to enforce the message he’d already given them several times. He also knew that they were being watched by every youth in the compound.
‘Go home,’ Maddox stared at each of them in turn, his voice still low and calm.
‘We’re going,’ one of the other men darted forward to start dragging the unconscious form away.
‘What about the weed?’ The woman asked.
‘We’ll drop some round tomorrow,’ Maddox replied. Turning he indicated to the others and started walking back towards the compound. Going ahead with Lenski while Sierra and Darius drop back and cover the rear.
‘Why we not give them food?’ Lenski asked quietly. Maddox paused before answering, quickly trying to figure if her question was challenging his authority.
‘We got plenty of food now, but we also got plenty of hungry mouths to feed and you said it, that food will run out soon if we don’t keep it coming in.’
‘But the people, they will leave no?’
‘Not yet, there’s still loads of infected out there and they don’t feel safe enough yet. We keep pushing them and take what we can for now. When the time is right we can back off and give a little.’
‘This is…how you say…er…the planning?’
‘Strategy,’ Maddox answered as she nodded in understanding. ‘We give in now and they’ll want more and more, it’s human nature. We stay hard now, take everything and get them scared. We’ll know when it’s time to change.’
‘But you kill the people when they don’t pay.’ She asked in the same open tone, a look of genuine puzzlement on her face bringing Maddox to a stop. He stared into her eyes, seeing no sign of challenge but a proud woman wanting to know why.
‘This wasn’t out fault. We didn’t cause this. The Bossman reacted quick enough to make the compound and fill it with food. He was already doing the job of the parents to these kids. It was him they came to when they needed help, him they turned to…’
‘Not just him no? I think it was you too.’
‘Yeah maybe, but we got this secured and built. We got the food. We killed the infected while they hid. They saw us out there fighting and they could have come out and helped. They didn’t. If we let them in they’ll try and rule it and fuck it up. Yeah we kill when they don’t pay. We killed a man today…’ He watches her face closely but she shows no reaction ‘he didn’t pay, I warned him but he came out fighting so we killed him. He had plenty of food that will feed this lot for a while. He was old and had a choice. And his death will tell the others who we are. You get me?’
‘You talk in different ways, you are like onion with the layers no?’
‘Onion? I ain’t no fuckin’ onion blood, swear down bruv innit,’ he replied quickly with an easy wry smile. Lenski watched his passive face and the deeply intelligent eyes. This youth was a natural leader and she observed that he chose his clothes carefully too. Going for black but not-too-baggy jeans and a plain white t shirt that accentuated his powerful shoulders. No hooded top either, his hair short but not shaved, no baseball cap or head covering. Features open and watchful, never letting his face betray his mind.
Walking back in the gate to an excited buzz of cheering and youths gathering flooding round Maddox, yelling he was the man, and that punch was bad. Maddox took the compliments well, smiling and taking high fives before starting to stride out a few steps and waving his arms to motion them to be silent.
‘Listen up,’ his voice barely raised quieted the last of the chattering youths, ‘this is our base for us. Ain’t no mofo’s comin’ in here and takin’ our shit. We the feds now bruv, you get me?’ His simple words spoken in a language they understood keyed them up into a frenzy as they cheered loudly. Waving his arms for silence he saw Darius smiling at him, nodding in compliment.
‘Right, we havin’ a party here innit, we got tunes, food, liquor and some nice smoke from the Bossman’s own private collection,’ another cheer sounding out as the children bounce up and down, ‘but…listen up, listen up,’ Maddox raised his voice slightly and the intense look on his face made them fall silent within seconds, ‘I need you to do somethin’ for me. If we gonna run this shit we need to be clean innit, some of you’s stink worse than the pigs,’ some laughs sound out as they soak his words up, ‘I want my crews clean you get me? You get clean before you get to party. Darius, you get the crew chiefs wiv me blood, Lenski too. The rest of you do one and get some water.’
As they crowd dispersed Maddox knew he timed it perfectly. The youths, after seeing him lay that man out would have stripped off there and let him hose them down if he’d asked. Hero worship in their eyes, young faces looking up and adoring him.
‘What’s up Maddox?’ Darius asked as they stepped aside to speak quietly. Sierra and Lenski both watching him as the crew chiefs gathered round.
‘Nuffin’, you?’ Maddox gave the instant reply.
‘Nuffin,’ Darius replied.
‘The Bossman said we got to clean them up innit, they get Dysentery and we’re fucked,’ Maddox explained and stopped as he saw the p
uzzled looks on more than a few faces, ‘It’s a disease innit, soldiers get it when they don’t wash properly, you get the proper shits and die,’ Maddox exaggerated what he’d been told, but knowing he needed to get the seriousness across. ‘Sierra, you and Lenski get the girls done. Make sure they’re washed proper innit, you get me?’
‘Yeah,’ Sierra nodded, ‘we got shower gel and shampoo innit. Where we doin’ this Maddox?’
‘Here,’ Lenski pointed to the side of unit, ‘we got some...er…’
‘Screens,’ Maddox helped her find the word.
‘We got screens no? Stop the boys looking at the boobs,’ she smiled, ‘the water it cold but the sun it is hot no?’
‘Boys round the other side then by the drains, we get screens up too, this ain’t no PE lesson for piss taking you get me?’ Maddox stared round the male faces, lingering on Ryker for a few seconds.
‘It’s all good bruv,’ Ryker shrugged and nodded.
‘Swear down,’ Maddox warned them, ‘some of them boys is young innit, we ain’t no fuckin’ teachers bein’ all pervy, let them get clean in private.’
‘Girls too,’ Lenski matched Maddox’s glare, ‘you keep boys away or I take the gun and shoot them in the balls,’ her hard tone taken with her fierce glare caused a few sniggers but the point was made.
‘Tonight,’ Maddox continued, ‘they can chill out and get caned, but we stay on it. Darius, Jagger, Ryland, Mohammed, Sierra, Skyla, Lenski you all wiv me, no booze, no weed. The rest of you chill out but stay sharp.’
‘Who you puttin’ on the gate?’ Mohammed asked, a thickset youth of sixteen with a serious face.
‘We doin it, take it in turns innit, you get me?’ Maddox replies. He was going to pick Ryker for sentry duty too and make him stay straight, but after the last few days Maddox wanted the lad to feel safe enough to unwind and see how he would react. Maybe provide an opportunity to sort him out properly.
‘Questions?’ Maddox asked and instantly regretted it. With the crews being so young he forgot the crew chiefs were only slightly older and still youths themselves. Trying to find their feet and learn as they went along. Questions were thrown at Maddox and he did his best to answer all of them, Lenski stepping in and taking a few off him, notes made on her clipboard and telling many of them she would sort it out.