“I remember the balcony over the lake,” said Donnell softly. “We held outdoor concerts there on summer nights.”
My mind was on fire rather than concerts. “We have to leave New York before the power grid explodes here too.”
“I know,” said Donnell. “It will take us several days just to get the alliance clear of New York on foot, so we absolutely must leave by the end of April.”
We sat in silence for the next few minutes, watching the flames spread to the third apartment block. There was still no sign of Cage, but I saw the dark shapes of some falling stars glide away from the rooftop to seek safety elsewhere.
Donnell frowned and stood up. “The falling stars have fled the buildings. Cage must have fled them too by now, but I haven’t heard a sound from our guard groups. Whistle a message to find out what’s happening, Blaze.”
I took out my whistle and blew the status check signal. A moment later, a whistle responded from near the second building. It was followed by another to the east, and then two more, much fainter ones, from the northern side of the apartment blocks.
“Three division groups responding with all quiet signals,” muttered Donnell.
I gave him a puzzled look. “Four responding with all quiet signals.”
Donnell made a soft, moaning sound. “It’s time I admitted something to you. Over the last couple of years, I’ve been having problems hearing faint, high-pitched sounds. I’m not sure if it’s the legacy of me performing at too many loud concerts when I was a teenager, too many blows to the head in fist fights, or getting caught in an explosion soon after I formed the Earth Resistance.”
I was unnerved to learn that Donnell was suffering from hearing loss. I was used to thinking of my legendary father as flawless and immortal, but this was a reminder that he was as human as the rest of us.
Donnell had been born in 2351, so he would soon be fifty-seven years old. The growing number of silver strands among his brown hair just added distinction to his famous good looks, and a slight hearing problem wasn’t important, but they were both warning signs that the passing years would make it harder for him to do the demanding job of running the alliance.
I’d known that before. Donnell constantly discussed the fact I’d succeed him as alliance leader, and tried to prepare me for that day. Only minutes ago, he’d got me to set fire to an apartment block because a leader needed to be able to face their fears.
Becoming alliance leader had still seemed a comfortingly theoretical thing, which would happen at a distant future time, but now I was hit by a new sense of urgency. It would hopefully be another decade or two before I had to wear the title of alliance leader, but Donnell might need to call on my support at any time, and I had to be ready to help him in whatever way was needed. I had a huge amount to learn about things like negotiations, hunting, and battle tactics, and I needed to learn it all as fast as possible.
“My older officers and Aaron know about my hearing problem,” said Donnell. “I think Ghost has noticed it as well, because he was suspiciously helpful about those whistled messages earlier.”
He sighed. “Well, if all four division groups responded with the all quiet signal, then you’d better recall them.”
I whistled the command, and then Donnell and I walked back to the main path. A few minutes later, figures started appearing through the gloom. Donnell waited until everyone was back together before speaking.
“Cage won’t have stayed in those buildings to burn to death, and I don’t believe he could have sneaked away unseen. That means he must have left before we arrived.”
“Some people might have seen Cage and chosen to keep quiet and let him escape,” said Raeni acidly.
There was a groan from Wall.
“Donnell and Blaze had a good view of the first two buildings, and I was right next to the third,” said Ghost. “I’m certain that Cage didn’t escape to the south or east.”
“He didn’t escape to the north either,” said Ice.
“I can’t believe Cage went swimming across the lake,” said Ghost cheerfully. “I agree he must have left the apartment blocks before we arrived, though that’s a surprising decision. Cage would surely expect Donnell to lead a search party here, so why didn’t he stay to take a shot at us?”
Donnell shrugged. “Whatever the reason, Cage left the apartment blocks. There aren’t any other buildings with a vantage point where he can fire shots at the restaurant, so we can go and get Aaron’s hunting party now.”
People nodded rather than replying to that out loud, and we retraced our steps along the path in sombre silence. When we reached the graveyard, I couldn’t prevent myself from looking across at where Aaron’s wife was buried, and picturing us digging Aaron’s grave there tomorrow.
“It’s almost fully dark, and the clouds are covering the moon,” said Raeni. “Is it safe for us to use flashlights now?”
“Cage may still be lurking somewhere in this area,” said Donnell, “so I’d rather not advertise our location by using flashlights. Ghost can lead us along the paved path towards the restaurant and warn us of any dangerous holes.”
We moved slowly along the path, crossing open ground next to the lake, and then went on through a wooded area for a few minutes before Donnell stopped us. I saw a single-storey, circular building ahead of us.
“Blaze, tell our people it’s safe to come out,” said Donnell.
I whistled a message, and then Donnell stepped forward to wave at the restaurant. A group of figures came out of the door, but they didn’t walk towards us, just moved to stand at the side of the path. I bit my lip, because I knew the reason they were waiting.
A moment later, four more men came out of the door. They were carrying a makeshift stretcher that might have been made from a tabletop. It was too dark to see much of the man lying on the stretcher as they carried it towards us, but the depressed body language of the stretcher bearers, and the bowed heads of those watching it go past, made it clear he was dead.
“Queens Island,” said Ghost, in a mourning voice.
I realized Ghost was right. One of the two men carrying the front of the stretcher had a slightly dragging gait that gave away his identity. If Destin of Queens Island was carrying the front of the stretcher, then the dead man was from Queens Island too.
I glanced back at the door to check if a second stretcher was coming. No, there was only one stretcher, only one dead man, but another body could have been left behind in the rush to take cover from Cage’s sniper fire. I urgently studied the dark shapes of the men following the stretcher, and finally spotted the familiar figure of Aaron at the back of the group. He was alive!
I felt a split second of joy that Rebecca still had her father, before I heard Raeni’s scream and saw her run forward to meet the stretcher.
“Chaos weeping,” muttered Donnell, in a voice of despair. “Now I understand why Cage didn’t bother staying to shoot at us. He’d already fired the shot that would destroy the alliance. Cage doesn’t want to kill me now. He wants to make me watch as the divisions fight each other, and everything I’ve worked for is torn apart.”
Raeni stumbled to a halt by the stretcher, laid a hand fleetingly on the chest of the person lying there, and then turned to glare at Wall.
“Cage has killed Rogue,” she shouted, “and Manhattan will pay blood price for his death.”
Chapter Eight
The stretcher bearers lowered Rogue’s body to the ground, and the slim figure of Raeni stood facing the massive bulk of Wall in the semidarkness. “Manhattan will pay blood price,” Raeni repeated.
Wall made an impatient sound, and took a step closer to her. “Manhattan played no part in this. We declared Cage renegade two weeks ago.”
The Queens Island men moved as well, taking up positions on both sides of Raeni ready to defend her.
“Declaring Cage renegade changed nothing,” Raeni spat the words at Wall. “The alliance rules state that Manhattan remains responsible for Cage’s actio
ns until you hand him over to face punishment for his crimes.”
“Raeni, we all understand your anger and grief at Rogue’s death,” said Donnell, “but it’s too dangerous to have this conversation here.”
“Agreed,” said Ghost swiftly. “Cage is probably still somewhere nearby. If we linger here, then we’re offering him the chance to kill more of us. We must carry Rogue’s body home now.”
Raeni seemed to hesitate.
“I’d be honoured to help carry Rogue back to Parliament House.” Ice’s voice unexpectedly joined in the conversation.
“Yes, it would be fitting for the alliance leadership to help carry Rogue home,” said Donnell.
Raeni turned to look coldly at Wall. “Queens Island would be grateful if the leaders of the Resistance, Brooklyn, and London help carry Rogue home.”
Wall took a step backwards, and made a fleeting gesture of helplessness with both hands. Raeni and Donnell took up positions at the front of the stretcher, and Ghost and Ice at the back, lifting it up to carry it along the path. I was startled when Destin beckoned me forward to walk behind the stretcher with him, then realized I was there as deputy leader of the alliance.
The other Queens Island members formed up behind us, then everyone else, and we started walking in total silence, with the stretcher bearers moving painfully slowly to avoid stumbling in the darkness.
When we went past the graveyard, the lights from the row of nearby buildings made it easier to see the path, but I was tensely aware of their multitude of windows. My gun’s tracking display showed the only living creature in the closest building was a falling star that had taken shelter for the night, but Donnell had said Cage’s sniper rifle could have a longer range than that of our guns’ tracking display. Was Cage up at one of the more distant windows right now, taking aim at us and preparing to fire?
Once we reached the brightly lit riverbank, I felt much safer. There were no more tall buildings on our route home, and soon we were walking past the front wall of Reception. I could see the people inside turning to look at us, their faces hardening as they saw the stretcher.
Vijay hurried up to hold the door open for us, and we entered the warmth of Reception. Tindra hovered anxiously as the stretcher bearers went past, clearly uncertain if she should be trying to collect weapons from them or not, but Donnell gave her a reassuring nod in passing, and gestured at the people following behind the stretcher.
I interpreted that as meaning the stretcher bearers could continue, but the rest of us should hand in our weapons as usual. I paused to dump my knife belt on the Resistance table, and Destin handed in his weapons too, then we moved on after the stretcher.
I heard a familiar clattering from behind us as other people dumped their weapons on tables, but my attention was focused on the stretcher. It was nearing the painted line that marked Queens Island’s territory. What was the rule in these circumstances? Would the stretcher bearers stop when they reached that deeply significant line? Should I stop when I reached that line?
The stretcher bearers crossed the line, but Destin stopped as he reached it. I stood beside him and watched the four stretcher bearers lower their burden onto the nearest Queens Island table.
Out in the darkness, Rogue had just been a shadowy blur on the stretcher, but the bright lights of Reception lit up every detail of his figure. His favourite yellow and green coat. The black hair in dreadlocks that hung past his shoulders. The bloodstained gash in his dark forehead where Cage had shot him.
I had a vivid flash of memory, taking me back to when I’d stood on one of the Resistance tables in this room and called general justice on Cage. Rogue had joined me in challenging Cage, standing on a Queens Island table, and heckling the division leaders and alliance representatives into supporting my call for justice. He had been so vibrantly alive and full of energy, he had helped me defeat Cage, and now Cage had taken his revenge by killing him.
The stretcher bearers bowed respectfully, then Raeni handed her weapons to Donnell, and he led Ghost and Ice back across the line to dump the weapons on the tables near the door. The formal procession was breaking up now as well, with everyone moving to join their own divisions.
As I moved towards the Resistance area in the centre of the room, I saw Aaron walking ahead of me, shoulders bent, and gait weary and stumbling. There was a childish shriek, and the small figure of Rebecca hurried unsteadily towards him. Aaron stooped to pick her up, hugged her close, and then sat on the nearest chair with her cradled on his lap, burying his face in her hair.
“We’d better leave Aaron in peace for now,” said Donnell’s voice from beside me. “There’s no need to ask him about what happened. It’s obvious that Cage shot Rogue, and the rest of the hunting party made it into the restaurant to shelter until ...”
Raeni’s voice interrupted him, ringing out across the silent room. “I call general justice against Manhattan!”
Donnell groaned, and we both turned to face the Queens Island corner. Rogue’s body was still lying on the table, and Raeni was standing on a chair next to it, with the Queens Island members gathered behind her.
“Cage has murdered my intended husband, Rogue. Manhattan’s man, Manhattan’s murder, Manhattan’s guilt, and they must face justice for it.”
Donnell moved clear of the Resistance tables. “Rogue’s loss isn’t just a blow for Queens Island, but for the whole alliance. I join you in calling for general justice, Raeni, but against Cage not Manhattan. Cage fired the shot that killed Rogue and should pay blood price for his crimes.”
“Cage fired the shot,” cried Raeni, “but Manhattan is complicit in his crimes. When Blaze called general justice against Cage, Manhattan was trusted to keep their man prisoner until his trial, but let him escape. Manhattan is responsible for all Cage’s crimes since then. The attempted murder of Blaze and the off-worlders in Sanctuary. The murder of Marsha. The murder of Rogue.”
“Manhattan has been hunting Cage for weeks.” Wall climbed onto a table that creaked loudly under his weight. “We will kill him on sight.”
“You keep claiming that Manhattan has been hunting Cage,” said Raeni fiercely, “but I believe the real truth is that you’ve been helping him.”
Ghost shouted from the opposite corner of the room. “We shouldn’t be arguing amongst ourselves, but planning how to eliminate Cage. Now he has a sniper rifle, not even a full hunting party of archers will be able to set foot outside Parliament House without either Donnell or Blaze to protect them. The alliance can’t survive that way for more than a couple of months. We have to hunt down Cage or we’ll die of starvation.”
“No, we can’t survive that way, but the danger isn’t dying of starvation but burning to death.” Ice didn’t bother to climb on a table or chair, just stepped forward from the London corner of the room.
There was a jeering sound from where Major, the previous leader of Queens Island, stood among its members. “That myth of the firestorm again. It’s just lies to frighten the gullible into doing what Donnell says.”
Raeni turned to snap at him. “Quiet, Major! You no longer speak for Queens Island.”
“I know that not everyone believes that a firestorm will hit New York this summer,” said Ice. “I do, and my people do, because we saw London burn. We all lost relatives and friends to the flames, and barely escaped with our lives. We can’t allow Cage to delay our preparations to leave New York this spring. He must be eliminated at all costs.”
“Queens Island agrees it’s vital Cage dies,” said Raeni, in an impassioned voice. “He shouldn’t face judgement alone though. Wall and all the other members of Manhattan who supported Cage in his murders should stand trial under the rules of general justice and be executed.”
Wall had been keeping his temper under control, but now he yelled his fury at the full volume of his powerful voice.
“You want Cage’s blood, Raeni, and you’re welcome to it because I’ve hated the man for years. You could have my blood too if it would satisfy
you, but whose blood would you demand next in your rage against Manhattan? How many deaths would it take to satisfy you? Would every adult in Manhattan division be enough, or would you slaughter our children too?”
People in the Manhattan area began rising to their feet in response to their leader’s words. A moment later, everyone in the room was standing up, and alarmed mothers were herding the children towards the curtained doorways that led to the private wings of the building.
“Enough!” Donnell shouted. “A brave man has been murdered, and I won’t have people screaming abuse over his body. Everyone except the division leaders should sit down immediately.”
I held my breath for a second, afraid that people wouldn’t listen to him and there’d be open warfare, but they slowly went back to their places. Donnell waited until they were all sitting down, and then looked at Raeni.
“I understand the pain you’re feeling at Rogue’s death, Raeni, but you mustn’t vent that emotion on Manhattan.”
“Why not?” demanded Raeni. “Wall mouths empty words about having hated Cage for years, but he never took action against him, and even now he hasn’t discarded Cage’s supporters from Manhattan.”
Wall groaned. “It’s true that I never took action against Cage, but that was because I couldn’t. Every time I tried to punish the man, he’d retaliate by finding a way to make an innocent member of my division suffer. Cage had so many people in his power, not just in Manhattan but in all the divisions, that he could easily arrange for someone to be falsely accused.”
He paused. “You know that’s true, Raeni, because you’ve seen it for yourself. When Major led Queens Island, Cage helped Major make a false accusation against Rogue.”
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