Fall of the Cities: Planting the Orchard

by Vance Huxley

  “One? I’ll whistle up a couple of the lads from across there.” The man who spoke made sure Harry could hear the reply.

  A door opened to Harry’s left, then right. “Two rifles.” That was Rob and there was no give in his voice.

  “Three.” Toby was game but wavered a bit.

  “It’s been a while, but they say you never forget. Which one is mine, soldier boy?”

  Harry kept the smile from his face because from what he’d said everyone out there would assume Obe was ex-Army or similar. “You can shoot the bastard with the limp, just for laying hands on the women.” The man in question looked startled after relaxing when his friends arrived, and moved to join the other men.

  “I’ve got the fat bastard on the end.” Finn was here now.

  “Save one for me.” Liz sounded totally sincere again, but she did last time when about to collapse according to her.

  “OK punks, which one feels lucky?” Harry had to smile, because that was Karen. All the men were staring at her.

  “She means it you know.” Harry got their attention back. “I’m going to shoot the first one through the left eye, then the next through the right to make it interesting.”

  “Bullshit.” The leader wasn’t having that, which was a mistake since Harry had him down as the first target. Though through the throat, not the eye in this light.

  “Pure gospel, asshole. That uniform isn’t a knockoff. His Majesty gave him it.” Liz. Of course. Though this lot didn’t look happy about the news. Maybe it was just law-abiding citizens who gave the Army crap.

  “True. A real live soldier boy, and HM probably spent a fortune teaching him to shoot.” Harry let Rob keep going because apparently someone else telling them worked better than Harry saying anything. About half of the yobs were already wanting to be elsewhere. A cheer went up over at the other block of flats but Harry daren’t look.

  “That ram will knock down the door and the bloody shooting won’t help then. Hand over those two and we’ll leave you alone tonight.” The leader wasn’t backing down.

  “Wrong. Our door has steel bars, and we’ll shoot the shit out of anyone getting onto a balcony. From inside where your guns can’t see us. Then I’ll shoot your shooters.” Harry let his rifle threaten one, then another.

  “If anyone gets up here, they get one of those spears, or I’m going to cut their fucking heads off with this.” Casper spoke up from behind Harry and was no doubt waving that bloody great blade.

  “Come on, Bas. They’re in the other place and we’ll miss out.”

  “Yeah, they’ll grab all the bloody women.” Men were backing away now. More followed and then the ringleader.

  Though not without a last gesture. A hand pointing at Harry and “I’ll be back tomorrow, for you, soldier boy.”

  Harry spoke quietly as the gang retreated and then turned away. “No jeering or cheering. Nice and low key. Don’t attract the rest.”

  “What, we let them just walk?” Rob wasn’t happy.

  “Yes, because we haven’t got bars on the door. Look over at the other block.” There were more people climbing the ladders now and they were pouring into the flats through the now uncontested window. More were moving into the garage where resistance has ceased. A petrol bomb went off and the car in the doorway started to burn but it was too late. Men were already inside.

  A single petrol bomb went off in the doorway where the pickup had now reversed clear, but the mob simply trampled through the flames with a roar of triumph. Another cheer signalled the second of the balcony windows being forced and men flooded through. The screams and sounds of fighting from inside were clear now and a few of the side balcony windows opened. People came out on the balconies and looked down, but not all the mob were going inside. Some were waiting for escapees.

  For what seemed like hours the mob rampaged through the flats, bursting out of doors to attack those sheltering on balconies. Those were cut down, or dragged inside, or in some cases thrown over. The fighting stopped but the screaming didn’t and it was different screaming now, mostly women. One partially clothed woman ran out and threw herself from a fourth floor balcony as men pursued her through the doors.

  “We have to do something.” Liz was sobbing and she wasn’t the only one.

  “We can’t. If we go out there they’ll kill whoever I take, then come over here and finish the job. We can’t stop them.” Harry wanted to go. He wanted to go completely apeshit and kill as many as he could, but there were too many.

  “At least they got a lot of the women out.” Several people looked at Billy and he dropped his eyes and voice. “Sixteen women and kids anyway, according to Patricia.”

  “But where will they go?” Susan was clinging to Rob, having turned over child care to the elderly since many youngsters were asleep.

  “I’ll find out. Call me if any of that lot head this way.” Harold went to find the refugees. If they had a destination, wherever they were going might be better than here. He found the long-haired woman, Patricia, sat with a cup of coffee and sobbing her heart out.

  Kerry was keeping her company so Harold asked her quietly. “Who was the other one?”

  “Hazel, fourteen. Her Dad is in the flats, her Mum was in that van. She’s in that bedroom with my daughter and will hopefully cry herself to sleep.”

  Harold went to the older woman. “Was there a plan, a destination?” Harry tried to ask as gently as possible, because after all Patricia was from that block of flats and must know those still inside.

  “No, not unless the drivers agreed something.” Patricia tried to stop sobbing and answer. “We didn’t expect this, but Christopher said if the doors went down we had to go. He realised what that truck was for. His wife stayed with him to help.” Patricia descended into sobbing again.

  Kerry took her away to join Hazel while Harry returned to the windows. He looked across at the flats and tried to think of anything that might help. There was nothing. Just after two am Harry came to one certain decision and went to find Sharyn. “Start packing. They’ll come back tomorrow, prepared for firearms and a steel barred door. There’s too many and we can’t keep them out.”

  “Some won’t leave.”

  “Then they die. You don’t, Daisy doesn’t, and Wills doesn’t. We are leaving with as many as will come with us and as heavily armed as possible. I’m not leaving the firearms. Tell who you can and I’ll do the same.” Sharyn looked at Harry’s face and nodded.

  “All right Harry. Where are we going?”

  Harry hadn’t got a clue, except far away. “Near the Army will be best.”

  “They’ll shoot us.”

  “No, not if we stay three hundred yards away, but they’ll shoot the bastards with guns.” Harry shrugged. “I was told on the way in, and suddenly realised what the rules mean. There is a three hundred yard exclusion zone. Outside that the Army won’t interfere, except they will shoot at anyone with a firearm. All we need is a place where nobody can reach us without the Army seeing them.” Harry gave a little smile. “Open to suggestions?”

  Sharyn straightened up, her face determined. “I’ll start with Rob and Susan, then Finn because he’ll want his Mum out of here.”

  “I’ll start with Casper and Liz. He can fight and she can make missiles.”

  “Ask Karen.” Sharyn sniggered. “If you feel lucky, punk.” That story had spread and was one of the few bright spots about tonight. The brightest was that they were all still alive.

  * * *

  In the early hours four almost naked women were dragged out of the doors and loaded into a van, then driven away. Soon afterwards six elderly men were thrown off the roof. The watchers could see their white or grey hair as the victims fell, screaming until they hit the car park.

  Then the mob streamed out carrying TVs and anything else they fancied. By dawn the flats were still burning in places but otherwise silent. The fire in the garage had taken a real hold now. Harry picked up his rifle. “I’m going to look.”


  “Some of them might still be there.” Susan’s eyes were dark with fatigue because she had been trying to comfort Hazel, and also start packing.

  “Good. I’ll kill the bastards.” Most of those present flinched from Harry’s tone but Casper stepped up.

  “I’m good with that. Anyone else fancy a bit of good old-fashioned retribution?” Casper looked around the impromptu residents meeting. Rob kissed Susan gently and joined Casper, then Finn stood up. Mr Baumber and Obe stood, and then Toby stepped forward.

  Karen came forward and gave a little smile. “I’ll come if I won’t slow you up.”

  “You’re welcome.” Harry knew that everyone who volunteered needed to do this. They needed to make some effort after sitting here watching all night. He certainly did. “Wouldn’t want some punk to get lucky.”

  Karen actually looked embarrassed. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know what to say.”

  “Wish I’d thought of it.” Mr Baumber smiled at her. “I’m Stewart.” Little smiles appeared here and there as Karen smiled back.

  Twenty residents crossed the gap in the end with Sharyn bringing Harry’s pickup. They avoided the garage, especially when a thud and a gout of flame heralded another vehicle catching fire. “Toby and Finn, stay by the main door.” Harry beckoned and Sharyn drove the pickup closer. “Sharyn will park that across the door so you’ve got cover if some asshole turns up.”

  “I’ll have no problem with shooting now, Mr Miller.” That murderous look shouldn’t have been on a fourteen year old face. Toby knew Hazel, mainly over the internet when she played games or compared homework.

  “Harry will do, Toby. Now you’ve been conscripted.” Harry turned to the rest. “I’ll take one group up the stairs and Casper will take the rest in the lifts. Then we leave a guard on both and search each floor. Break down any locked doors you find since they’ve been locked after that lot finished. Shoot or chop any bastard without a really good reason to be in there.” Harry doubted many would do so in cold blood, but Karen for one had a grim look about her.

  So did others after they found the two women who had survived the estate car crash. Both bodies were naked and they had been raped as they died of gunshot wounds. The others in the car were dead, killed instantly in that fusillade. If there were any survivors the women were gone now, women because all the car’s occupants were female. The bodies in the car park and just inside the main door had also put a vengeful gleam in a few eyes.

  The ground and first floors were clear of all but the dead, and now most people were angry and determined. Harry was working through the third floor when three shots rapped out and then a scream, cut off short. Harry headed for the sound and found Casper cleaning the machete. “Found one. The asshole was asleep I reckon and came out to see what the noise was.”

  Liz picked up the slightly smaller version of a machete near the man’s body. “I think I can manage to use one of these now, soldier boy. After seeing this place.” She kicked the body. “Let’s see if he’s got friends.” Liz’s hardened attitude wasn’t surprising. Everyone searching the rooms was ready to kill some bastard by now. Room after room told the same story of death and terror.

  Dead bodies were scattered throughout the building, some raped and a few of those were men. All the women who hadn’t died fighting had been raped including the old and infirm ones. The children were the worst bodies to find, though according to Patricia most had got away in the van with the women. Not the two preteen boys or the babe in arms, or the young teenager, who had all stayed for some reason.

  * * *

  Rob looked back as Harry came out onto the roof. “He’s the last one.”

  “So shoot him.” The man was backed into a corner of the roof with a semicircle of armed people penning him in.

  “We were wondering about nailing him to the door as a hint to the bastards when they come back. After cutting his dick off of course.” Liz was hefting her new weapon and certainly seemed to mean it.

  Harry didn’t want these people setting off down that route. He looked at the cornered man. “Did you hear that, fella? You might want to jump.” Actually Harry would shoot the arse if he didn’t jump, but the residents deserved a bit of vengeance. Making him follow those old blokes into the car park would do.

  The man’s eyes widened. “Oh fuck. It’s you.” His eyes moved across and rested on Karen. “Oh fuck.” Then he dropped his machete, turned, took two steps and jumped. A scream trailed him down and stopped abruptly.

  “Damn.” Billy spat over the edge.

  “No. Because torture is a very bad road to go down. Execution I am definitely in favour of and it gets the message across just as well.” Harry looked over at Karen. “You’ve got a rep. He didn’t jump until he saw you were here.”

  Karen smiled sweetly. “You say the nicest things.” She turned to leave and Mr Baumber, now Stewart, helped her down the steps.

  Finn picked up the machete the man had dropped when he was cornered. “There’s a lot of these about now. That’s four we caught and they all had one.” He looked round and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t much payback, but I feel a little bit better now.” The rest were nodding as they headed down to the lifts.

  Sharyn had moved the pickup from the entrance when a minibus came around the corner and stopped. The windshield was starred and one headlight was smashed, but Harry was sure it was the vehicle that had escaped. He looked around. “Would any of you be recognised by the residents here?”

  “I might.” Toby ducked and looked a bit wary, then straightened. “I used to play internet games with some of them and some of us swapped pictures. Nothing icky!”

  “Step out there and let them see you. I don’t think your love life is a problem now.” Harry grinned as Toby went pink. “Put down the rifle though.”

  “Ah, right.”

  “Louise and Susan both know some of the women as well. I could go and get them?” Sharyn was in the pickup already with the engine running so she wouldn’t take long.

  Harry nodded. “Ask Patricia to come as well. Don’t tell Hazel until we know who is in the minibus.” Harry hoped Hazel’s Mum was in there, but this was the wrong vehicle. Sharyn drove off towards the front door of her block of flats. Harry spoke quietly. “I would like the women to the front, please, without waving any weaponry.”

  Liz handed her captured machete to Casper. “I want it back.”

  Either Toby or the women reassured the occupants because the minibus drove closer. It stopped about twelve yards away and two women got out. “Where is everybody?” The speaker looked at the bodies in the car park and her face crumpled. “Dad.” Then she was running towards a whitehaired corpse.

  The other woman walked forward, a bit unsteadily. “All of them?”

  “Sorry. There were too many for us to help.” Liz moved forward. “We got four who were slow to leave.”

  “Who are you?” Her eyes moved to Harry. “Who the hell are you?”

  “If you go to the other block, we’ll tell you all about it.” The woman’s eyes went past Harry to the smashed and scorched doorway behind him. Harry spoke again before she asked. “You don’t want to go in there. Whoever it is, remember the last time you saw them.” Her eyes tracked back to Harry. “Please. It will save you some bad dreams. I know.”

  Harry had dreams about bad people he’d killed. It had to be worse seeing someone he cared about hacked to bits or raped to death. “Just go over there. What about the van that got away?”

  The woman looked at the car and the bullet holes. At least the women now had curtains thrown over them. “Only the van?” She bit back a sob. “We are late. A road block and a fight in the road. The others should be here.” The next sob was stronger. “Oh God.”

  Harry spoke quietly. “Liz go over there, put her back inside, and drive them to our door. Nice and steady but don’t accept no.”

  Liz glanced back, startled, and then nodded. “OK Harry.”

  Harry turned to the rest of his
party. “Anyone still want to be here tonight when they come back?” Nobody answered. “Then let’s get packed.”

  “What about them?” Mr Baumber waved at the bodies. “That isn’t right, just leaving them.”

  Harry looked back at the building and the smoke still coming from some windows. “If there’s time we put them all inside and make sure this place is well alight.”

  Rob’s voice was bleak. “If we open the fire doors to the garage it’ll do that. Those doors won’t last much longer anyway, the way the garage is burning. Then the whole block goes up.”

  “We all pack first, and if there’s time we deal with the dead. Now let’s move!” Harry put some snap into the last bit and the startled group got moving as the minibus started off. Two of the group collected the woman from the car park, promising they’d deal with her Dad.

  * * *

  By two pm the first group was ready to leave, though they waited to help with the bodies. There was no attempt at laying them out. Each one found outside was rolled onto a curtain or bedsheet and carried inside, then left in the foyer. That was a job for strong stomachs, especially with those who had been thrown from the roof. Any dead attackers from inside were thrown out of the door or windows to rot.

  The smoke inside was thickening when Finn went down the stairs to the garage fire door. He reported that the sides were giving way and he daren’t get near enough to trip the catch. The other fire doors and lift doors were propped open to help the draught when the flames broke through.

  The first group of twenty three were those who were going to find relatives elsewhere and included two from the minibus. The women in the minibus varied from fourteen to early twenties and had been sent out first because of what the attackers had promised the previous night. Four of the ten women left partners behind in the flats, while another three left a parent.

  The van contained mothers and younger children, with Patricia because she was a nurse. Trainee nurse but the best there was available for the children. By three pm all hope of the van returning was abandoned. That left thirty-three people who had no place to go. The residents who were coming with Harry’s group or possibly staying. A few, such as Isiah and Kerry, still clung to that option.