Shockwave

by Peter Jay Black

  The men behind did the same, shoving people out of the way as they went.

  Jack and Charlie ran on to the platform just as the train’s doors started to close. They both dived through the carriage at the same time and crumpled on to the floor.

  Jack rolled on to his back and looked up. One of the men glared through the window as the train pulled away from the platform.

  Breathing hard and clutching his chest, Jack got to his feet and helped Charlie up.

  An old woman frowned at them.

  Jack offered her a weak smile. ‘Late for school.’

  The woman’s frown deepened. ‘It’s quarter to six.’

  ‘Evening classes.’

  Charlie grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him to a seat in the emptiest corner of the carriage. She lifted her bandana up over her nose and mouth.

  Jack pulled his shirt up over the lower half of his face. He knew they had to keep as far away from people as they could for fear of infecting them, but things hadn’t exactly gone to plan so far.

  Another wave of guilt washed over Jack, and his thoughts drifted back to the last conversation they’d had with Hector – when Hector had revealed that not only had he tricked the Outlaws into unleashing a deadly virus, but that his father, Benito Del Sarto, had woken up from a coma and divulged their bunker’s location.

  The bunker had been a secret since before any of the Outlaws were born, the location known to only a few people during its decades of existence. For a fleeting moment, Jack imagined the shame of having to tell Noble that it was his fault they’d lost it.

  Cold horror washed over him as he realised that this wasn’t just another petty fight – Hector was making a final push to destroy the Outlaws once and for all.

  ‘I have to go back,’ Jack muttered.

  Charlie stared at him. ‘Go back?’

  ‘Obi. I have to do something. Maybe I can follow them when they come out.’

  ‘They’ll kill you.’

  ‘They’ll kill Obi.’

  ‘No they won’t,’ Charlie hissed.

  Jack frowned at her. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Hector will use Obi as insurance.’

  ‘Insurance?’

  ‘Think about it, Jack,’ Charlie said, glancing around the carriage and lowering her voice further. ‘They caught Obi but no one else, so what will they do now? What is Hector’s next move going to be when he finds out the rest of us managed to escape?’

  Jack stared at her as scenarios ran through his head. If they only captured Obi then Hector would use him as bait to round up the others.

  Jack rubbed his aching leg muscles. ‘We could be making a huge mistake here, Charlie.’

  She let out a breath and stared at the floor. ‘We can’t do anything for Obi right now. He needs us to get away so we can save him later.’

  Jack had to admit that Charlie was right.

  He sighed. ‘Have you got your phone on you?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Me neither. Any cash?’

  Charlie shook her head.

  ‘Brilliant.’ Jack stared at the floor too.

  Not only had they just lost their home and Obi, but they had no money or any form of communication – and it was all his fault.

  *

  Jack and Charlie marched around the lake in St James’s Park.

  It was dark and luckily there was no one else around – Jack didn’t want to infect even more people. God only knew how many they’d given the virus to already and he cringed as he thought of all those passengers on the Underground.

  As they crossed over a low concrete bridge, he could see Buckingham Palace in one direction and Horse Guards Parade and the London Eye in the other.

  In the middle of the bridge, Slink and Wren were waiting for them.

  ‘Where’s Obi?’ Slink said, leaning against the metal railing to take the weight off his ankle.

  ‘I couldn’t get to him,’ Jack said in a low voice, his face burning with shame.

  Wren’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Will they hurt him?’

  ‘No,’ Charlie said, taking her hands. ‘He’ll be fine. We just need to stay strong and find out where Hector takes him, then we’ll break him out again. Yeah?’

  Wren sniffed and nodded.

  A guy walking a golden retriever started to cross the bridge towards them.

  ‘Come on,’ Jack said, gesturing for the others to follow him.

  They needed to stay away from other people, but without the bunker to retreat to that was going to be extremely difficult.

  Once he felt they were a safe distance away, under the cover of trees, Jack stopped and turned back to the three of them.

  ‘So,’ Slink said, looking puzzled by Jack’s actions. ‘Are you gonna tell us what’s going on or what?’

  Jack cleared his throat and started to bring Slink and Wren up to speed. He told them how Hector had caught Cloud feeding information to the Outlaws, how he’d sent his team to the Facility a couple of days before the Outlaws had broken in themselves. How Hector had shown his father awake from the coma that had kept their bunker safe for so long. Lastly, Jack told Slink and Wren about Medusa, the virus, and how they were all infected now.

  ‘A virus?’ Slink stared at him. ‘Are you kidding?’

  ‘No,’ Jack said. ‘You know that rash we all have behind our ears? Hector said that’s the first sign of the virus.’

  ‘I thought we just had bad colds,’ Wren said in a small voice.

  Jack shook his head. ‘Hector says that we brought it out of the Facility and we’ve infected loads of people by now.’ He glanced around to make sure no one else was about before continuing, ‘We all need to keep as far away from other people as possible.’

  ‘So there was a weapon in the Facility?’ Wren asked.

  Jack sighed and nodded.

  Slink frowned. ‘Wait a minute. You can’t be serious, Jack.’

  Jack nodded again, even though he wished none of it was true.

  Slink kept his voice low. ‘How bad is it?’

  ‘Bad.’ Jack shrugged. ‘A week. Maybe two. I just don’t know how long before . . .’

  ‘What’s he on about?’ Slink said, glancing at Charlie. ‘Before what?’

  ‘Before we’re, you know, done for,’ Charlie said.

  Wren gasped. ‘We’re going to die?’

  Slink’s eyes widened. ‘This can’t be happening.’

  ‘I wish I could tell you it wasn’t,’ Jack said. ‘But it explains why we all feel rubbish, why we have the rash.’

  ‘I thought we caught it off Raze,’ Slink said, dumbfounded and staring into the distance. ‘Thought we had that bozo’s germs.’

  ‘That’s what we all thought,’ Charlie said. ‘But it’s Medusa, and it’s just going to get worse.’

  Slink lunged for Jack’s throat.

  ‘Slink.’ Charlie grabbed hold of Slink and tried to pull him off, but he had a tight grip.

  Slink squeezed Jack’s neck hard. ‘I’m gonna kill you,’ he screamed.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Jack struggled to breathe as Slink’s hand tightened around his throat.

  ‘Slink, stop it,’ Wren cried out.

  Charlie wrestled with him, but Slink was too strong and he gripped Jack’s throat harder, apparently determined to crush the life from him.

  Jack twisted his body, grabbed Slink’s wrists and, with supreme effort, finally managed to shove him off.

  Charlie took hold of him. ‘Calm down, Slink.’

  Slink thrashed about, trying to break free, but she bear-hugged him and pinned his arms to his sides.

  ‘Get off me.’

  ‘I said, calm down,’ Charlie snapped.

  ‘No. You’re a moron,’ Slink snarled at Jack.

  Jack stared back at him, unsure what to do.

  Slink broke from Charlie’s grasp and took a swipe at Jack, missing by millimetres. ‘We should be in quarantine or something.’

  ‘Slink.’ Charlie grabbed hold
of him again.

  Jack knew Slink was right and he felt terrible about it. In a way, he wished Charlie would just let Slink punch him. Perhaps that would make them both feel better.

  Charlie took Slink’s shoulders and turned him around to face her. ‘Listen.’

  ‘Get off me, Charlie.’ Slink glared over her shoulder at Jack.

  ‘Not until you listen,’ Charlie said, shaking him.

  ‘I’m done listening.’

  ‘No, you’re not.’

  ‘Slink,’ Wren said in a calming voice. ‘It’s not Jack’s fault. It’s Hector. Hector did this.’

  Slink didn’t take his eyes off Jack, but he did visibly relax – just a little.

  Charlie seized her chance. ‘Just think about it a minute,’ she said, looking at him intently. ‘We’ve all had the virus for a few days now. There was no way for any of us to know that. Yes, we’ve passed it on to other people, but that’s not our fault or Jack’s. We were tricked by Hector.’

  ‘We’re always being tricked by Hector,’ Slink spat. He waved a finger at Jack. ‘And we’re always the ones getting caught up in your stupid war with him. Now look what’s happened. Are you happy? Huh, Jack? We’re going to die because of you. How does that make you feel?’

  ‘We’ll do something about it,’ Charlie said, before Jack could answer.

  ‘Like what?’ Slink snarled. He looked at Jack again, and his voice was loaded with venom as he said, ‘You can thank your lucky stars that I haven’t seen my mum since we broke into the Facility.’ He balled his fists. ‘If she gets this, I-I just –’

  ‘I know,’ Jack said, raising his hands. ‘I’d never forgive myself. We all care about her, Slink. She’s part of our family too.’

  ‘Family look out for one another,’ Slink growled.

  Jack winced and rubbed his chest. ‘The only thing we can do right this second is stay away from everyone and try to find some kind of cure.’

  Slink thrust a finger at him. ‘I blame you for this,’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘You’ve killed us.’ He turned around and limped away.

  ‘Where are you going?’ Wren called.

  Slink didn’t answer.

  Wren went to go after him, but Charlie held her back.

  ‘Let him calm down,’ she said.

  Wren ignored her and hurried away. ‘Slink, wait up.’

  Jack and Charlie watched them go.

  ‘He’ll come round once he’s cooled off,’ Charlie said, glancing at Jack. ‘He knows it wasn’t your fault. He’s just angry, that’s all.’

  ‘He’s right though,’ Jack said in a quiet voice. ‘I’ve killed us all.’

  Charlie spun to face him. ‘Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start thinking, would ya?’

  Jack frowned at her. ‘What?’

  ‘Think, Jack. It’s what you do best, isn’t it? How do we put this right? How do we find a cure?’

  Jack started pacing, hoping against hope that the movement would get his brain going and help him figure out what their next move should be.

  If there was an antidote, then it wouldn’t be just a case of popping into the local hospital and asking for it. The Medusa virus was a top-secret weapon, so the most logical place for an antidote to be located was . . .

  He stopped dead.

  Back at the Facility. The same place the virus was created and stored.

  The workers at the Facility must have had access to the antidote there, just in case the virus was accidentally unleashed on them.

  That meant the Outlaws needed to break into the Facility again and take it.

  Wren returned with Slink a few minutes later.

  Slink crossed his arms and didn’t make eye contact with Jack.

  ‘We need to go back to the Facility,’ Jack said to them. ‘They must have an antidote there, because –’

  ‘That’s where they stored the virus,’ Charlie said, catching on.

  ‘Exactly,’ Jack said. ‘But we have to see Noble first. We need equipment and gadgets if we’re gonna break into the Facility again.’

  He strode down the path and the others followed.

  ‘What about the virus?’ Wren said. ‘Noble might catch it.’

  ‘Why would Jack care about infecting someone else we care about?’ Slink snapped. ‘Don’t matter, does it, Jack? Noble’s old anyway. Who cares, right?’

  ‘Slink,’ Charlie hissed.

  Jack tried his best to ignore the snide comments, but they cut deep. ‘Noble’s front door has a camera and an intercom,’ he said in a monotone. ‘We’ll explain what’s happened and come up with a way to grab a few essentials without coming into contact with him.’ He glanced at Slink. ‘That all right for you?’

  Slink huffed and looked away.

  ‘We’re gonna need somewhere to stay too,’ Charlie said, pulling her jacket collar up and coughing.

  Jack’s stomach sank as he remembered the last time he’d seen the bunker. ‘Yeah,’ he muttered, ‘we’ll think of something.’ He shivered and wished he had his hoodie.

  Charlie looked at him. ‘We also need to make a quick stop before Noble’s.’

  Ten minutes later, they were standing in a car park behind a supermarket.

  Slink kept an eye out while Jack and Charlie waited by a yellow clothes bank.

  ‘I don’t feel right doing this,’ Jack whispered to her.

  ‘It’s an emergency,’ she said. ‘We’ll donate back ten times what we take, and we’ll take only what we need.’

  Jack nodded.

  The metal grille on the front of the clothes bank lowered and Wren peered out. ‘Found something for Jack.’ She pushed a bundle of fabric through the opening and Charlie took it.

  Charlie shook it out and handed it to him – a purple hoodie with a fluffy collar.

  ‘She has to be kidding,’ Jack said.

  ‘It’s all there is,’ Wren’s muffled voice retorted from inside. ‘Unless you want a nice blue evening dress?’

  ‘Nah, you’re all right.’

  ‘Find something made out of thin material,’ Charlie reminded her.

  ‘I am, I am. Give me a minute.’

  As Wren rummaged about inside the clothes bank, Jack slipped on the hoodie and felt instant relief from the cold.

  Charlie smirked at the bright red bullseye logo on the front. ‘Looks good.’

  ‘Whatever.’

  Wren’s head reappeared and she handed Charlie a couple of shirts. ‘Anything else?’

  Charlie turned to Slink. ‘Do you need anything?’

  He shook his head and looked away.

  Jack took Wren’s hands and pulled her back out.

  Once she was safely on the ground, wearing a dark pink cardigan with flowers, Jack looked over at Charlie.

  She was tearing the shirts into wide strips.

  ‘What are you doing?’ he said.

  Charlie handed him one. ‘Tie it around your nose and mouth, like a bandana. It’ll help us to stop spreading the virus.’

  ‘Good idea.’ Jack did as she said and pulled up his hood.

  Once Slink and Wren had done the same, they hurried back across the car park in the direction of the Docklands.

  It took Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren a lot longer than it normally would to get across London as they deliberately kept out of the way of people, using alleyways and side roads.

  Finally, they turned the corner into the road where Noble’s warehouse stood.

  They froze, and stared in disbelief.

  ‘This. Isn’t. Happening,’ Charlie breathed.

  The entire warehouse was ablaze. Flames burst from the windows and thick smoke billowed into the sky, blotting out the stars and moon.

  ‘Oh my God.’ Wren’s eyes were full of tears. ‘Noble.’

  ‘He’ll . . .’ Jack swallowed. ‘He’ll be OK,’ he said, although his trembling hands told him he feared otherwise.

  Several fire engines were dousing the flames, but it was no use – the roof crashed into the bui
lding, releasing more smoke and fire into the night sky.

  ‘This is karma,’ Jack muttered.

  Charlie glanced at him. ‘What? Since when have you believed in anything like that?’

  ‘It’s because we set fire to the theatre.’

  ‘That wasn’t our fault,’ Charlie said in a firm tone. ‘That was an accident, Jack. This is Hect–’ Her words choked off as she obviously came to the same conclusion Jack had reached – this was all Hector’s doing.

  Jack thought of Noble’s collection – his antiques and priceless cars, all destroyed.

  It was then that Jack noticed a black SUV parked further down the road.

  ‘Move.’ He grabbed Charlie and Wren’s arms and pulled them back into the shadows. ‘Slink?’

  Slink followed, hands in his pockets, walking with a defiant look. ‘What are you doing now?’

  Jack coughed and pointed at the car.

  ‘You think that’s Hector’s people?’ Wren asked.

  As she said it, a lower-floor window shattered and flames erupted into the night. Jack caught a glimpse of the SUV’s driver. It was Connor, Hector’s lead henchman.

  The fact that he was still there and watching the building meant that he expected Noble to return. And that also suggested Noble wasn’t inside when they set fire to it.

  Jack let that thought ease his worrying slightly. ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ he said.

  ‘What about Noble?’ Slink asked.

  Jack looked back at the burning warehouse and prayed that he was right and that Noble wasn’t in there. ‘He’ll be OK,’ he said again. But he wished he could be one hundred per cent sure.

  Jack glanced back at the SUV and had an overpowering urge to run over there and punch Connor in the face. But the moment wasn’t right for any stupid actions – they’d lost the bunker and Obi, and now Noble and his warehouse too.

  With a massive effort, Jack turned his back on the fire and marched between the buildings.

  ‘What’s the plan now?’ Charlie asked as she, Slink and Wren hurried after him.

  Jack stopped at the end of the alleyway and turned back to them. ‘Slink and Wren, can you guys please go scope out the Facility?’

  ‘And do what exactly?’ Slink said with a heavy measure of sarcasm. ‘We can’t break in again because we don’t have Noble’s gadgets. We don’t even have phones.’