by E S Richards
“Right,” Joel nodded, immediately straightening up and quieting down. As excited as he was to see his sister again, he knew if they gave what they were doing away to the Authority, then they would be seriously reprimanded and never allowed to see their sisters again. “Keep it calm. Gotcha.”
“I’m pretty sure they saw us come in here,” Chase continued, remembering Riley watching him closely. “I’m sure they’ll find a way to get here soon.”
“I hope so,” Joel nodded. “I can’t wait.”
The feeling was entirely mutual for Chase. To know that he was just minutes away from seeing his sister again felt incredible. It was the longest he’d ever gone without speaking to her. Ever since they lost their parents, Chase and Riley had grown closer than anyone would’ve imagined. She was so important to him; he loved her with all his heart and knew he would always protect her. It actually physically pained him that she was suffering so much at the hands of the Authority, even if she didn’t feel like it was that bad. Chase had promised his father he would make sure she was always safe and if he broke that promise, he knew he would be letting down his dad. He couldn’t do that any more than he could allow Riley to be in danger. It went against not only everything he believed as a brother, but everything he believed as a human being.
Chapter 16
“From what we have established,” Jackson spoke, “they have commandeered the entirety of the theater district. But that doesn’t mean it’s impenetrable, by any means. If we launch our main attack here”—he paused and pointed to an area on the map below—“and set off another wave of explosives here, and here, then we should be able to cover all main areas and free the children in a relatively easy manner.”
“What about the interior walls?” a man from within Jackson’s group asked, leaning forward and inspecting the map that was stretched out across the table.
The planning session had been underway for the better part of two hours, everyone sharing their views on how best to infiltrate the theater district and save the children. The sheer number of explosives and weapons that Vic and Blake had returned with had greatly impressed everyone in Jackson’s faction, Vic smiling at the secret fact that what they’d brought wasn’t even ten percent of everything he had back at the store. It had sparked the discussions about where they were going to attack and where they should merely plant explosives though. A debate that had started out as a casual conversation and then quickly morphed into full-scale war planning.
“That is why we’re timing this for the middle of the afternoon,” Jackson explained. “We think the majority of the children will be out and about through the day. At night some of them are locked away, so it’s too risky then. But during the day we should be able to get them all out. We have intel as well that a lot of them are gathered together in the afternoons at the moment.”
“Yes,” a woman spoke up, clearing her throat and preparing to explain. “I’ve received news from one of my sources inside that there is building work going on at one of the theaters that they’re using the kids for. Different groups work there morning and afternoon, so if we target that area, we should be able to free a large group of them right off the bat.”
“Thanks, Hannah,” Jackson smiled. “That is why this building,” he paused and pointed to one theater in particular, “seems to be the most logical place to target.”
“I know that theater,” Blake announced. “I’ve performed there a couple of times in the past. Old building. Was practically falling down already last summer. I’m not surprised it’s been brought down by all of this.”
“Excellent,” Jackson smiled. “I assume that means you know the interior layout well?”
“Fairly well,” Blake nodded. “I’m sure I could recall it given a few minutes to think on it.”
“We’ll get you to brief all the teams on that then, once it’s all come back to you,” Jackson decided. “I want five separate groups to assemble, three actually going inside, two manning the explosive stations. Vic, can you show everyone on those teams how to set them off when needed? Unless you want to be a part of one of the teams yourself.”
“Certainly, my friend,” Vic confirmed. “I’ll make sure everyone knows how they work. I’ll come into the theater as planned, though—never been one to skip out on the action myself.”
“I can understand that,” Jackson smiled. “A man after my own heart.”
Vic nodded at Jackson, getting along with the faction leader more and more with every minute he spent with him. Jackson was a no-nonsense, straight-talking kind of man. He was the sort you knew you could put your trust in, no secrets or hidden agendas surrounding his actions or words. Jackson wanted his kids back and that was the end of it. He was angry at the Authority for what they had done to his wife, but Vic could see his main agenda wasn’t revenge, it was restoration. Once he had his family back and had returned the city to the way it ought to be, he would stop. He wouldn’t spiral out of control once the power was in his hands and he wouldn’t become the next terrifying leader in a long line of dictators. Jackson was a good man and Vic respected him a great deal as a result, happy to fight alongside him in the battle for Houston.
Outside, the city continued to deteriorate and the threat on their lives grew and grew. All the adults now wore masks or scarves of some kind over their faces. Few were as efficient as the ones that Vic had gathered from his store, but there weren’t enough of them to go around. Just he, Blake, and Jackson wore them, entirely protected from the toxic fumes, ash particles, and whatever else floated through the air outside.
Houston was covered from the tips of the tallest buildings right down to the ground with a layer of dark gray sediment. No one was entirely certain what it was; a concoction whipped up from the days of terrifying weather, blazing fires, and swirling clouds of ash. It coated every surface, leaving a slick that somehow seemed to weigh everything down, no electronics able to deal with the added weight of it, motors failing and circuits shorting.
Vic turned his head away from the small window he gazed out of, trying to ignore the churning blizzard outside and focus on their plan of attack. They were scheduled for the very next day, less than twenty-four hours remaining for them to prepare and make sure everyone knew their roles exactly. Vic knew as well as Jackson did that with a plan that carried this many moving components, everything had to go right or it would all crumble and put their lives in danger. Only those who Jackson trusted completely had been asked to be a part of it, the faction itself much larger , containing several parents who would merely wait behind for the children to come to them.
“Let’s divide up into our teams,” Jackson announced. “Bombers—head over to Vic and he’ll tell you what needs to be done. Everyone else, with me. Vic, I’m sure Blake can catch you up on our plan for infiltration later.”
“Sure,” Vic nodded. “Let’s go and play with some explosives,” he smiled at the other men and women who were approaching him. He always enjoyed teaching people about weapons so this was an activity very much up his alley. Looking over at Blake, he nodded to his friend and knew Blake would fill him in later. There was no need to worry about anything; Jackson had the plan very firmly established.
Peeling off with Jackson and ten to twelve others, Blake followed the faction leader into another room of his base. It was nothing more than an old office building that Jackson and the others had stripped bare of all desks and chairs that weren’t necessary, making the place seem barer and emptier—a more fitting environment for their activity. They’d developed more of the building too, turning the board room into a dorm and repurposing the store rooms so they were filled with weapons and ammunition instead of filing cabinets and office supplies.
Even though what they were doing was certainly going to put them all in danger, Blake was glad that he and Vic had bumped into Jackson—although the meeting had apparently been planned by the faction leader himself. Blake had entirely bought into their plan to free the children of Houston and he was det
ermined to fulfil his part in it to the best of his abilities.
“All right,” Jackson spoke up once they had moved into a breakaway area of the office building, a few comfortable couches positioned around the walls. A few people chose to sit down on them, but Blake remained standing, as Jackson was. “Like I said, I want to have three teams on the ground when we go in there. For the sake of practicality,” Jackson stepped forward and held out his arm, separating five people off from the rest of the group, “you’ll be Team Alpha. You’ll be Team Bravo,” he pointed to another five people. “And you two,” he nodded at Blake and the woman he was stood next to. “Will be on Team Charlie, with myself and Vic.”
Blake nodded, pleased that he was on a team with both Vic and Jackson. With both of them by his side he was sure they’d succeed. He turned and smiled at the woman next to him as well. They had never spoken before, although he recognized her from around the base and was certain he could rely on her too. She looked resilient and ready to fight, undoubtedly one of the people within the base who had lost her children to the Authority.
“We’ll all be converging on this building where the construction work is being done,” Jackson pointed to the specific part of the theater district again with his finger. “But we’re going to enter from three different points, making sure we have the place surrounded while the explosions at the other end of the district distract the Authority and mean we stand more of a chance against them.”
“There are actually four entrances to the building,” Blake recalled. “The main entrance at the front, one here—at the side of the stage,” Blake took his turn pointing to the map. “Then another in the kitchen and a staff entrance around the back.”
“Ah, interesting,” Jackson nodded. “We didn’t know about the entrance in the kitchen. Do you think that would be better to target than the main staff entrance?”
“Probably,” Blake nodded. “It’s more hidden away. Do we actually want to go into the building, though? Surely most of the kids are going to be outside working on it?”
“Yeah, they will be,” Jackson confirmed. “But we need to be aware of the exits in order to get them out. We’re going to converge on the building here, here, and here.” Jackson prodded the map three times, identifying the exact spots where he wanted each team to launch their attacks from. The way he explained everything and the tactics he had already thought of were so exceptionally planned that Blake found himself wondering what the man had done before Yellowstone erupted. What kind of life had he led and what had been his career? It had to be something strategy-based at the very least, though Blake wouldn’t be surprised if he had been in the military at some stage of his life.
The planning session went on for a couple of hours, Vic arriving partway through and offering his opinion on several elements of it. By the time the hours rolled over into the evening, the course of action for the next day had been vetted by each of them, ensuring that it was the best possible plan they could come up with. Jackson, Blake, and Vic all felt confident, ready for what they were about to do and certain that it would succeed.
“Don’t you worry, my friend,” Vic patted Jackson on the back as they walked back out into the main area of the office base. “We’ve got a good plan here. We’ll get your boys back tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Jackson nodded, his voice low as he spoke only to Vic and Blake. “I appreciate the help you two have offered this team. I’m not sure we’d be ready to infiltrate tomorrow if it wasn’t for you both.”
“It’s nothing,” Vic shrugged. “We’re here to help. I don’t want my city falling to some renegade dictatorship.”
“Me neither,” Blake agreed. “Government or not, they don’t get to decide how we all live. We’ll get the children back and then we’ll get Houston back as well. Only working together can we all be certain to survive this nightmare.”
“Wise words,” Jackson smiled. “I just hope nothing bad has happened to my boys while they’ve been away. They know how to take care of themselves, but after what they saw…”
Jackson trailed off with a shudder, remembering watching his wife be murdered in front of his eyes—in front of both his sons’ eyes. It was the most soul-destroying thing to ever happen to him. To watch the woman he loved, the woman who had carried his children inside her and given him the gift of a family be butchered down and left bloodied in the street. It made Jackson fill with rage. His blood boiled as he thought about the people who had done it and how he would make them pay.
“I just want to get them out of there,” Jackson finished, trying not to focus on his anger but on the love that he carried for his children. That was what his wife would’ve wanted. She would’ve told him to live the rest of his life focusing on the love for his sons, not the anger and the rage that plagued him when he thought of what he had lost. She had always been a woman who believed everything happened for a reason and Jackson had to remind himself of what she would’ve wanted; what she would’ve done.
He just hoped that tomorrow, when he finally came face-to-face with the Authority, he would remember that. He hoped he wouldn’t snap and lose control of himself, giving in to the growing rage inside of him. He hoped he could get out of there alive, his children in his arms. He hoped for it, but he knew it wasn’t a guarantee.
Chapter 17
Houston was getting worse by the hour. The sky was such a dark gray that it was almost black, hardly any light breaking through the cloud into the city. It made everyone feel like they were walking through a field of smog, their eyes stinging and their lungs protesting despite the filtration masks strapped to their faces. The buildings still looked like they were bleeding as the gray ash dripped down the brick walls, accumulating on the streets and getting kicked up into the air as people walked through it. That only added to the haze. No matter how people walked, the visibility was near zero and the long summer days had been replaced with a constant darkness. It felt like the world was ending and no matter what anyone tried, it just couldn’t be stopped.
Jackson led his faction through the city, Vic and Blake flanking him and then followed by everyone else. No one talked as they walked, all focused on reaching their launch stations. They were doing a full lap of the theater district first, Jackson ensuring every other team was in position before leaving them to do their jobs. Team Alpha and one of the explosive groups had been dropped off already, the other explosive unit nearly at their rendezvous point before the rest of them had to circle back and head to where Team Alpha waited at the chosen building. Everything was planned out to the letter; Jackson hadn’t left any room for error in their mission.
“This is you, Gwen,” Jackson spoke when they hit a certain corner, the back wall of one of the larger theaters running along it. “You good?”
“We got this, Jackson,” Gwen nodded. “We’ll wait for your signal.”
“Great,” Jackson smiled from behind his filtration mask. “I’ll see you back at base afterwards. Good luck.”
Conversation was kept to a minimum, little more needing to be said as the second explosive unit was left behind, tasked with attaching the explosives to the chosen theater. It was one with an outdoor stage that the Authority had built a temporary roof over; blowing the external wall should hopefully make the roof collapse and leave a large opening for any children to escape through if they were nearby. Gwen and the rest of her team would also be on hand to assist where needed.
Looking back over his shoulder, Vic saw Gwen and the others starting to unpack their explosives, handling them with care just as he had taught them. Vic trusted Gwen. She had come across as very capable the previous day, hence his decision to assign her as team leader. Now it was down to her, the explosions were a vital part of Jackson’s plan to scatter the Authority, allowing them and the other two teams to spring an attack in the center of the district. Every element was well planned out; Vic knew now it was just down to human error and whether everyone could go ahead with it.
Ten minutes later everyo
ne was in position and ready to go. Jackson gave the signal, firing one of Vic’s long-range flash bombs off into the city. That was one of their distractions. Not only would everyone in the faction see it and know the plan was about to start, but the Authority would see it too and think something was happening. They would undoubtedly deploy troops out into the city to check it out, further weakening themselves at the theater district and opening them up for Jackson’s infiltration. After the flash bomb exploded in the distance, Blake, Vic, Jackson, and Cam—the woman who completed their team—sat back and waited for the explosions to begin, marking the official start of their attack on the Authority.
When they finally happened, it was incredible. They couldn’t see what was happening, but the noise echoed through the city like a war cry, causing everyone to jump to their feet and begin. Everyone moved in unison, the four members of Team Charlie sprinting toward the low wall they were going to vault. Blake held a thick rubber mat that he hurled up into the air just before they reached the wall, allowing the rubber to land over the curls of barbed wire which sat on top of the brick. He jumped and landed on the mat perfectly, his years of stunt training preparing him for such an act. Once Blake was on the wall, he was able to help the other three over with ease, each of them landing on the other side—inside the Authority’s zone—undetected.
“Stage one, complete,” Jackson grinned. “Let’s tear this place wide open.”
The scene ahead of them was set. Over to the right sat the collapsing theater, the four of them having vaulted themselves into the small staff parking lot. They could see clearly the damage which had been done to it, the western side of the building fallen in on itself, with rubble covering the surrounding area. Children stood stock-still in front of them, each of them looking around and trying to figure out what was happening while members of the Authority did the same. It didn’t take long for them to realize the small groups that were dotted around the theater were intruders, both Teams Alpha and Bravo having made their entrances as well.