The Unleashed

by Sarah Dalton

  Daniel’s cheeks coloured, and he shuffled awkwardly away from me.

  “If you two are––”

  “We’re not,” he said. He glanced around us, his expression one of total mortification.

  “Well, I was just going to say that I understand. I mean, after everything I did…” I shrugged.

  “Is that how you feel?” he asked. His voice was stiff and curt.

  “I guess so.”

  “That’s fine then.” He stepped around me and walked away.

  39 ~ Angela ~

  They sat – hand in hand – watching Daniel’s message, with Cam on her right and Ginge on her left. Alfred paced up and down the Commander’s office in Area 13.

  The GEM army is rising; we need you to join forces and fight. The Resistance can only do so much. We need you.

  “There’s something wrong with him. He seems… in pain,” Angela said. She examined his face on screen, noting his tight jaw line and the dark circles beneath his eyes.

  “There’s only one person who makes Daniel’s face look like that,” Sebastian said.

  “Mina,” Ginge finished.

  “Something’s gone wrong in London,” said Angela. “We have to get to him.”

  “And take an army with us.”

  Angela moved around to see Alfred behind her. He had his arms folded and his feet planted wide. He stared at the image of Daniel and Luce on the screen. Another war, Angela thought. Not again. Cam squeezed her hand – sensing her worry.

  “We leave in an hour,” Alfred said.

  “What about the wounded?” she asked.

  “They’re staying in hospital,” he replied. He spun on his heel and walked out of the room.

  Angela’s heart sank. She let go of Ginge and Cam’s hand to go and sort out her backpack. There was only so much she could cram in there, and they needed food and medical supplies. She checked her gun and packed the boxes of bullets.

  “Hey, ye all right?” Cam appeared by her side.

  She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

  “Hey now, what’s this? It’s gunnae be all right, ye know.”

  She shook her head. No, it wouldn’t.

  *

  They took Area 12 with ease. Only half an hour away from 13, the cars drove straight through the border taking out Enforcers as they went. Dozens of Blemished men and women ran from their houses with kitchen knives and pickaxes to join the fight. Angela learned to aim her pistol, and Cam fought at her side. They relied on Ginge’s shooting ability, and it wasn’t long before Alfred utilised her in his tactics – much to Sebastian’s annoyance. He watched her like a hawk, fiercely protective and proud.

  The chants of BLEM-ISHED, BLEM-ISHED roared through the streets. They drove the cars and trucks in a parade, tooting their horns and waving guns in the air. Alfred stole laser guns from the Enforcers, and a group of them tried to figure out how to use them. They took regular guns from the stores left unguarded in the headquarters. Eventually the GEM called Enforcers back to London.

  In 11 the border guards were gone. The Blemished met Alfred’s army in the streets, driving GEM cars and waving banners of Daniel and Luce. Angela shuddered as they drove past the graffiti on the walls: Take it back – Down with the GEM – No more.

  “What’s going to happen to me? They’re already stealing from GEM families. If they catch me…” Sebastian trailed off.

  Angela didn’t want to think about it.

  On the way out of Area 11 they met the Blemished from Areas 9 and 10. They whooped and tooted their horns like mad people. Angela shrank back away from the windows, afraid of their manic grins.

  “This revolution is making people crazy,” she said. “I don’t like it. I thought we were the good guys.”

  “Nae one’s good in this world, lass,” Ginge said. She snapped her chewing gum and scowled at the people in their cars. One of the younger men blew a kiss at her, and she stuck her middle finger up at him.

  They stopped for food. The army spread far and wide, broken off into huddles around vehicles, and small campfires. Angela and her small group of friends decided to stay away from most of the others, keeping to themselves. Alfred made his way through the camp, splitting up fist-fights and shouting matches.

  As the Areas combined, more leaders appeared. Most of the army took orders from Alfred, but there was dissent amongst the ranks. Not everyone thought Alfred should be leader, and it thickened the atmosphere with the threat of violence. Angela shivered. She shuffled closer to Cam.

  They made sure to stay in the same car with the same driver – people they could trust. Their group didn’t talk much, but they didn’t argue or toot their horns either. They were business-like, practical, safe. Or at least as safe as you could be in the middle of a revolution.

  Area 8, one of the smallest, almost in the centre of England – or so Alfred told Angela around the campfire one night – took less than half an hour to take. The Enforcers and Commander had fled, leaving a small band of nervous young men with cheap weapons. They’d congregated in the town market clutching at their pistols and waving a white flag. They told Alfred about how they’d been unsure whether to go to London or wait. Alfred welcomed them into the army.

  “They’re young,” Angela noted, staring at the small group of fighters from the car window.

  “So are we,” said Ginge. She sat with her rifle across her knee.

  Angela envied Ginge and the way she took care of herself. She never needed Sebastian to save her. Yet Angela felt like she always relied on Cam to look after her.

  “You okay, Angie?” Cam asked.

  She smiled, but inside her stomach squirmed with the thought of what was to come. They weren’t far from London and with each mile closer the pressing anxiety gripped her. What lay ahead?

  “Do you think Alfred wants to run the country?” Angela whispered so that their driver couldn’t hear.

  Cam frowned. “Ah suspect so, aye.”

  “It’s going to be pretty rough for a while,” Sebastian said quietly. “If they defeat the GEM and dissolve the government, someone will seize power. It could be Alfred. It could be that bloke from Area 9. I guess it just depends on who has the biggest army.”

  They left Area 8 – winding around Areas 6 and 7 – scoping for more fighters. There were none. Alfred picked up hundreds more between Areas 4 and 5. By the time they reached Area 1 they’d become a thousand strong. Most of the fighters were men. They drove cars stolen by the GEM, dressed in clothes stolen from GEM houses, and waved their weapons in the air. Some drove their cars in big, looping circles, cackling through the windows, or with the sunroofs pulled down. Angela watched them and her heart raced.

  “We’re nearly there,” she said, fingering the pistol in her pocket.

  They approached from a long, straight road with green fields and tall trees on either side. When the trees thinned out, Angela saw the border walls for the first time. They were taller than she’d ever imagined: far taller than the walls at the Compound, and almost as tall as the turrets in the castle. Bright depictions of the Fracture adorned the wall. They showed Enforcers standing over young mothers with threatening weapons.

  “Ye dunnae have te fight,” Cam whispered in her ear. “We can go. Just you an’ me. We’ll go an’ we’ll stay tegether, an’ we’ll have some children an’ ferget all about this, eh? Just you an’ me.” His hand enclosed hers.

  Tears welled in Angela’s eyes. She wanted it so much. Even as a little girl she’d played with dolls and imagined them hers. Even when her mum told her she was Blemished and she’d have the Operation, she hoped deep down that something would go wrong, and somehow she’d end up with children after all. Could they really do it? Just run away and live alone somewhere? Maybe by the sea in a little cottage. She could buy a goat to milk. They could make their own cheese.

  She stared into Cam’s eyes and saw their life together. Brown-skinned children played in the back-garden of a cottage by the sea. She wrapped herself i
n a blanket and waited for her grandchildren to come inside where she’d made a fire and laid out bread and cheese for supper.

  Angela blinked and the fantasy faded. She touched Cam’s cheek, and knew deep down that whatever she hoped her life would be – first there was something she had to do. She could never live her life knowing she’d run away. As a few tears rolled down her cheeks, she shook her head. Cam let out a long, disappointed breath.

  “We have to fight,” Angela said.

  40 ~ Margaret ~

  Margaret Murgatroyd could not believe Anna Hart. She’d had the girl all of two weeks before letting her get completely out of control and then disappear – with Elena Darcey no less. She’d always known that Elena had something to hide. Now she saw that the girl was a double agent with the Resistance. She wondered how long the two girls had been in cahoots. Perhaps it was Elena who had hit her over the head in Area 14. It made sense. And it gave her another reason to despise the girl.

  She tapped a pencil against her desk. They’d brought in the mahogany desk from her house in Area 14, as well as the ant farm. They busied themselves, making tracks through the soil, laying down their pheromones for the colony. Soon her living, breathing version of an ant farm – the clone army – would quell the pathetic attempts from the Resistance once and for all.

  A rapping at the door distracted Margaret from her thoughts. “Yes.”

  “It’s me.” The door opened and Anna stepped through.

  Margaret remarked with disdain that Anna still wore a large dressing over her right cheek. It’d been days since Mina’s temper tantrum in the lobby. She doubted whether the little scratch on Anna’s face warranted such extravagant gauze. Just like Anna in general, the dressing was all for show.

  “What is it?” Margaret asked. She tried to raise her eyebrows. Dr Black’s last Botox session had almost completely frozen her forehead.

  “The Areas are gathering an army of Blemished.” Anna made herself comfortable in the chair opposite the desk. “It’s time to begin the Solution.”

  “I’m not starting anything until I get the call––” Much to Margaret’s chagrin, the phone began to ring. Anna smirked. Margaret picked up the receiver. “Ethan. Uh-huh. Well, if you think––” She replaced the phone.

  “Was that Ethan calling you to arrange the Solution?”

  “You know it was.”

  “And has he figured out his escape plan yet? We can’t have the Minister of the GEM captured by the Resistance now, can we?” Anna raised one eyebrow. Margaret couldn’t help but notice Anna’s lack of Botox or wrinkles, despite them being a similar age.

  “I’ve made the arrangements,” Margaret answered. She suppressed a smirk. She’d made more than just arrangements for Ethan Moore, and it was a long time coming. Anna’s smug little display had turned out to be a good thing. She mulled over the plan in her mind. Was it too much? No, it was just enough for the man who ruined her life. It meant giving up everything. She bit her lip and gazed out of the window to the streets below. It didn’t matter. She was ready at last. “The labs have been cleared and the artificial wombs are in transit. It’s just a matter of the scientists.”

  “What about them?” Anna said.

  “Well, if the scientists clear out of London, the public will start to panic. They’ll just have to stay and ride it out. So will you.”

  Anna pursed her lips. “I’ll have the car brought around then.”

  Margaret slipped a flask into the pocket of her suit jacket as Anna sauntered across the room. She followed her colleague out of the office, glancing back to eye the ant farm once more, one last reminder of her past. It strengthened her.

  “Are you and the clones ready?” Anna asked.

  “More ready than you were with your daughter,” Margaret retorted.

  Anna said nothing as they stepped through the lobby. Whilst the glass had been cleaned away, the doors were yet to be replaced. The two women nodded to the security guards as they made their way to the black car waiting for them outside. It was a quiet day in London and the streets seemed almost completely clear. A guard held open the car door.

  “People are leaving,” Anna noted. “They’re retreating to the suburbs of the city, and locking themselves away. They know what’s coming.”

  “Thanks to the messages from the Resistance. Another pet project of yours, isn’t it? The boy?”

  Anna’s back stiffened. “He was part of the Gestalt project, yes.”

  “And another one you failed to control.” Margaret smirked. The car drove past empty streets with boarded up shops. “Perhaps he’s seen what’s coming. He could be the only person in the world who knows what’s really going to happen in the end.” The thought made her stomach churn. She longed for the liquid in her flask, but decided not to show her weakness in front of Anna.

  “When does Ethan abandon ship?” Anna changed the subject. “I’m surprised he’s not halfway to Australia by now.”

  “I think he wants to stay until the Solution is in motion. He’s already been disappointed by one of us. He doesn’t want the same to happen to me, I suppose. Then he’ll leave until it all blows over.”

  Neither Margaret or Anna spoke for several minutes. Margaret longed for the journey to end.

  “Do you think we’ll win?” Anna said eventually.

  “Yes,” Margaret replied without hesitation. Not that she cared.

  After another fifteen minutes the car pulled up and Margaret exited first. She didn’t wait for Anna. Instead she strode straight for the entrance of the warehouse, where inside lived her children. It was sick to call them that, considering what they were; she couldn’t help it. Anna appeared at her side.

  “So where are they all going to go?” she asked.

  “Most will be stationed at the border – waiting for the Blemished. Others will spread out through the city: around the GEM HQ, the parliament buildings, the outskirts – all the ‘hotspots’ in the city. I’ve spent extensive amounts of time with the lead army Enforcer on tactics. Really, there’s no need to worry, Anna, I have everything under control.” She took a whistle from her pocket and blew one short blast. Thousands of men stamped their feet in response. Anna’s eyes widened.

  Margaret loved to watch people’s response when faced with her soldiers. They took a left through the hallway into the main living area for the army. They’d lined up ready, standing in numerical order. She blew three more short sharp blasts and the soldiers turned on their heels. They marched towards the back of the warehouse, and Margaret heard the screeching of metal against concrete as the huge doors opened wide. Sunlight flooded the dingy interior.

  “Come on,” Margaret said to Anna. She followed the soldiers to the back of the warehouse as they marched in step. Anna hesitated at first.

  “How many?” Anna asked.

  “Ten thousand. There are two more warehouses to visit after this.”

  Anna shook her head in disbelief. “We really are going to win.”

  Margaret thought of the tanks, vans, and armoury outside the warehouse. She thought of the helicopters and weaponry available. She knew they were going to win. She knew they were going to crush the Resistance once and for all, but not before she took her revenge on Ethan Moore. No, she would make time for that after what he did to her.

  41 ~ Daniel ~

  Daniel lit a candle and placed it on the basement table. They’d packed most of their belongings ready for the forthcoming move. With war around the corner, Dale tried to arrange a safe location for the families and somewhere to store their equipment. But he hadn’t heard from K, and with Des gone, things were difficult. Then, on top of everything, the power went out, and Dale rushed through the church swearing and sweating, buzzing around the basement like a fly stuck in a bottle.

  “This is all we need,” he said. “We have to leave tonight. Would someone sort that fuse, now!” His voice became soft. “God, give me a sign.”

  Daniel snorted.

  Within seconds Dale ap
peared in front of his face shining the torch in his eyes. The usually shy man had turned wild with the stress of leading the group in Des’ absence. Daniel’s hands flew to his face to shield himself from the bright light. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Do you find it funny, vision boy? Didn’t predict it, did you?” he said.

  “Leave it.” Luce pulled the man away from Daniel. “What’s got into you?”

  Dale’s shoulders slumped. He rubbed his eyes, and walked away.

  “It’s the pressure,” she explained. “He has all these lives to account for.” Her arm swept the basement. Daniel lit another match and saw the shadowy faces of the children sitting huddled and scared on bunk beds. Some packed their tiny bags with forlorn faces, gaunt and sallow in the firelight. “The GEM army is on the move. We don’t have much time, and the Resistance is spread all over London.”

  “I know,” Daniel said. He lit another candle and positioned it in the centre of the table. Dale moved into the kitchen with Ali to organise weapons. Some of the older children watched them with fascination.

  “Besides, you were being a bit of a prick,” she said. “You might not believe, but it doesn’t give you the right to scorn those who do.”

  Daniel paused. The match burned all the way up to his finger and he swore, letting it drop and fizzle out against the cold floor. “I didn’t mean to. You just… you don’t know what it was like.” He fumbled for another match.

  “What was?” Luce asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Doesn’t sound like nothing,” she said.

  Daniel finally got to the match and attempted to light it. The spark just wasn’t there. At least it gave him an excuse to avoid Luce’s big blue eyes. “My mum. She was religious and she didn’t think much of my visions. She thought they made me evil.” He shrugged. Why was he telling her this? He discarded the match and pulled out a new one.

  “That sounds terrible, I’m sorry.” She placed a hand on his arm and moved closer to him. Daniel stood – frozen – still staring down at the match in his fingers. He dreaded the thought of her kissing him again. “And I’m sorry about your friend’s dad. No one deserves… I’m just sorry I couldn’t save him.”