The Fall Series (Book 3): The Fence Walker

by Cross, Stephen

  “Hey, I saw her move,” said a woman’s voice.

  “You think she’s alive?” said another voice, that one sounded like a child, a young boy.

  “Hey, you ok? Can you hear me?” said the woman’s voice.

  Sarah took a few moments to compose herself. Get her energy up. Replenish her vapors. She forced her eyes open. Only a sliver at first. Wherever she was, it was bright. Brighter than anything she had ever seen before.

  “She’s moving, Harriet, I think she’s ok!” said the young boy’s voice.

  “Shhh, don’t rush her.”

  The voices sounded friendly. Sarah let out a small groan, it seemed to help. More rasping breaths. She pulled her eyes open, and moved them from side to side, searching for the source of the voices. The bright yellow faded into shadows and vague shapes. She blinked a few more times, her pupils slow to react to the light.

  “Take your time,” said the woman’s voice, slowly, kindly.

  There, open. An empty room made of breeze blocks. A powerful halogen light in the corner, buzzing like a terrible watching insect. A woman sat across from her; a few more seconds of looking before she came into focus. Young, pretty, although her eyes looked clouded with sorrow.

  “I’m Harriet,” said the woman.

  “I’m Adam,” said the young boy’s voice.

  Adam. She knew that name. Sarah forced her head to turn. Her neck clicked and snapped, pain shot down her back, but she moved it none the less. A young boy with a shock of blond hair was tied up against the wall.

  “Are you ok?” said the boy. “They hurt you.”

  Sarah tried to speak, but the first words got lost in her throat; dry and painful as if full of sand. She worked a mouthful of saliva and swallowed. It felt like a cube of razors.

  “Adam?” she managed to say.

  “Yes. What’s your name?”

  He was young, could be around eleven. Looked like the boy from the photo. The eyes, the hair. It was a face that hadn’t smiled for a long time, not like in the picture, but it was him. “You’re Adam,” said Sarah.

  Adam looked at her, uncertain now. He looked at Harriet.

  “Adam,” said Sarah. She smiled, even though it was painful. Then she laughed even though it hurt her chest, her mouth, her face, her neck. “Adam, my God, you’re alive,” said said through her laughter.

  “Who are you?” said Harriet.

  “I’m Sarah,” she said, slowly, allowing her laughter to die. She took a few deep breaths. “I came here with Sergeant Allen. He’s been looking for you, Adam. He’s been looking for you ever since the Fall began. He’s walked across the world to find you,” said Sarah. “And you’re alive.”

  Silence.

  “What?” said Harriet.

  “Dad,” said Adam, quietly. “My Dad’s here? He’s really here? Where is he? I-” Adam stopped speaking, his words caught in his throat. He cried, he laughed, seemingly unsure what he was meant to do. “Dad…” he breathed in deeply, hyperventilated, laughed again.

  “Who are you?” said Harriet. “You better be telling the truth, he can’t take anymore.”

  Sarah smiled at Harriet. “I met him months ago, in a hospital we were staying at. He was leading a small camp about thirty miles from here. He thought Adam would come here, it’s where you always went on holiday, Adam?” Adam nodded, smiling through the tears, looking at Harriet continuously as if for guidance on how he should feel. “Me and Crowe, that’s another soldier, we got here a few days ago, looking for you. Dalby told us you were dead.”

  “Where’s my Dad?” said Adam.

  “He’s camped up on the hill, overlooking the park. I was trying to get out when they found me,” she paused and took a few deep breaths. A sudden dizzy spell took her. “They found your photo in my backpack. Dalby wanted to know where Allen is. I didn’t tell them…”

  “They beat you,” said Harriet, quietly.

  “Is that what happened? I can’t remember.” A wave of darkness passed over Sarah. She felt weak.

  “You look terrible,” said Harriet. “You’re covered in blood, in bruises. Your face is… They’ve really hurt you.”

  Sarah smiled, “It’s ok. I found Adam. You have to get out, you have to find your Dad.”

  “I knew it,” said Adam. “I knew he’d come and get me.”

  “He never gave up,” said Sarah, turning to Adam again. “He never gave up looking for you. He’ll come for you…” Another wave of darkness, one that she fell into this time, her energy gone.

  Chris sat in Dalby’s office. That James fella was long gone. Dalby had told him what was what.

  Chris cradled his hands. They hurt. Who’d have thought that hitting some dumb bint would be so painful?

  “Well done, Chris,” said Dalby, sitting across the table. “You did today what a lot of people wouldn’t do. It’s hard to follow orders when you don’t understand the picture, when you think that what you’re being told to do is wrong. You managed to do it though. You’re what I need, what Unity needs. We are going to have hard, tough times ahead, and we need hard, tough men, to do the necessary.”

  Pride welled up within Chris.

  “We’ve been taught it is bad to beat women, to beat those less powerful than ourselves. The enemy knows this of course, and it uses those that may deceive us into pity, like your friend Terry. He thinks what we did was wrong, doesn’t he?”

  Chris nodded. Terry didn’t get it. He never did.

  “It’s up to us, the strong men, to do the bad things so that the weaker people may sleep in safety. You agree?”

  Fucking too right he did.

  “That’s why I’m going to promote you. You’re a First Lieutenant now, Chris.” Dalby reached across the table and shook Chris’ hand. Imagine back at the estate, what they would think of him? First Lieutenant, higher rank that Terry. Looks like Amy picked the wrong fella.

  “There will be a formal announcement in the morning, and we will have a little ceremony. It’s important everyone knows how well you are doing.”

  “Thanks, sir.”

  Dalby waved away the need for gratitude and smiled. “The thanks is mine. Men like you are what makes this army strong.” He leaned forward. “The woman didn’t talk, did she?”

  Chris shook his head. He had done his best. Started off smacking her about a bit. She had given some lip. Soon sorted that out though. Proper. Smacked her teeth out, banged her head on the wall. Kicked her in the ribs. Broke her arm in the end. Still didn’t talk though, stupid bitch.

  “She’s stubborn,” said Dalby. “Leave it to me. We need to know where this Allen is. He’s a dangerous man.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Dalby put his head down and looked over some papers on his desk. That meant the meeting was over. Chris got up and left the office.

  You sure about this? said Chris’s Nan. She had been quiet recently. Why was she piping up now? Chris frowned. Always spoiling things.

  You’re better than this. Shouldn’t be beating on women, I brought you up better than this.

  “Shut it, Nan,” whispered Chris.

  It was nearly 4 in the morning. The sun signaled its existence with a light grey seeping in under the carpet of the short summer night. An early bird let out a cry, causing Andy to jump.

  “Why so scared?” said Ash with a smile on her face, just visible. “I thought you were the expert at midnight jaunts in the woods.”

  Andy shook his head and signaled at her to be quiet, “We’re nearly there,” he whispered.

  The decision to break Jack out had been an easy one. Both of them knew Jack well, he was a regular sight around the Runner’s meets and the distribution center - had always been asking for bloody chains. Looks like he should have got them too, along with more help. Neither Ash nor Andy particularly liked Jack; he was obnoxious, abrasive, hard to talk to, and not very polite. He was one of them though. He had been here since the start, and Andy suspected that once you got past his rough exterior, there was m
erely a man trying to look after his daughter the best he could. He doted on his daughter to a fault; that was his one saving grace that had kept his favor in the camp.

  Whether they liked him or not was immaterial, however; Jack was the subject of a stitch up. Andy didn’t like Dalby, he hadn’t from the start; and even though it meant the camp was obviously fucked, Andy quite liked that he had been right. Good to know that his internal people radar was still up to speed.

  It was time to leave. God knows what would happen to Jack and his daughter if they did nothing; as far as the rest of the holiday park was concerned (holiday park - not fucking ‘Unity’ or whatever Dalby wanted to call it), Jack and Annie were dead.

  Andy suspected they soon would be for real.

  He motioned with his hand for Ash to slow down and crouch. They were at the clearing. The caravan sat in ashen darkness. The early morning hung fresh with dew. A single figure, the guard, stood by the trailer, a gun by his side. The guard looked at his watch and yawned.

  Ash tapped Andy on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow. They crept around the side of the clearing until they were at the other side of the caravan from the guard. They moved slowly and carefully, testing each footfall before treading.

  They put down their backpacks at the edge of the clearing. Everything they needed to survive in the Wilds was in there. It was just like the old days, thought Andy, as he had packed the camping stove, the knife, the lighters, the tins of food, the tent, the waterproof; his time in the Wilds forever etched in his mind. Ash had followed his lead, trusting he knew what he was doing. He hoped he did.

  They crept into the clearing, the soft wet grass parting silently under their feet. Moving slowly, carefully, they reached the caravan. Ash went one way around the caravan, Andy the other, their well discussed plan coming to action.

  Ash tapped on the side of the caravan, just enough to be heard, hopefully not so much that it would wake Jack or Annie.

  The sound of movement, slow and considered.

  Andy rushed around the other side, encircling the caravan to arrive just as the guard saw Ash.

  “Hey!” he said, raising his gun.

  Andy dropped his bat on the soldier’s head. He had agonized for hours how hard to strike. Enough to knock him out, but hopefully not kill him. Ash had said it doesn’t matter what happens to him, he’s complicit.

  A hollow thud and the guard dropped his gun. He reached a hand up to his head. Shit. Andy struck again. This time the guard let out a dumb grunt and fell.

  Andy’s heart was beating fast, had he just killed someone?

  Ash didn’t give him time to think about it further. She grabbed his hand, “Come on.”

  Ash opened the caravan door slowly - it wasn’t locked. She poked her head in as Andy kept an eye on the surrounding woods; he watched for movement, living or dead.

  “Jack,” said Ash. “Jack, Annie.”

  The sound of rustling of sheets in the caravan. A shout.

  “Hey, hey! Guard, Help! Help! Get away!”

  “Jack, shhh, it’s Ash, we’re here to rescue you, to get you out of here.”

  Andy took one last look around the clearing then ducked into the caravan. “Jack,” he said holding his hands up, “It’s me, it’s Andy. Dalby lied to you, he’s told everyone you’re dead, and he’s blaming you for the attack, for the Fence.”

  “We’re getting out of here,” said Ash. “We need you to come.”

  “Daddy,” a small voice mewed from the darkness.

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Jack’s shadowy figure, all hair and skin and bones was crouched in the corner of the bed, his arms around Annie. “They said that people wanted to kill me and that he was protecting me. He was going to set everything straight.”

  “No,” said Ash. “That’s not what’s happened. He’s locked down the park - no one is allowed to leave. He’s blamed you for everything and told them you’re dead. If we don’t get you out of here, then…” Ash trailed off.

  “How can I trust you?” said Jack.

  “You’ve known us longer,” said Andy. “Come on, we’ve been in this together for a long time. Please, Jack, come on. Come with us.”

  Silence. Nothing but the heartbeats and breathing. Andy glanced out of the door. He did a second take. The soldier’s body was gone.

  “We have to go, Jack,” he rested his hand on Ash’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “Soldier’s gone,” he whispered as he stepped out into the morning grey.

  “Daddy, I like them more than the soldiers,” said Annie, her little voice from inside the caravan filling Andy full of relief.

  “Ok,” said Jack. “Let me get a few things together.”

  “We don’t have time,” said Andy, ducking back into the caravan. “We have to go now.”

  “But Annie’s things, we can’t just go out there with nothing. You have a place to go, right? We’re not just going to the Wilds, right?”

  “Jack, we have to go now,” said Andy. Movement out of the corner of his eye, in the woods. Or had he just imagined it?

  “Come on,” said Ash. “Andy knows what he’s doing out there, trust us.”

  Andy stepped out into the clearing. The woods motionless, the moon still and watchful. He looked back to the caravan. Annie and Jack mumbling to each other as they got dressed, Ash darting her eyes between the caravan and Andy. He rolled his hand, telling her to hurry up.

  “Come on, Jack,” said Ash.

  “Going as fast as I can,” he said. “Come on Annie, put your coat on.”

  Something darting in the shadows to Andy’s left. He spun around to try and follow it but saw nothing.

  Ash, Jack, and Annie stepped out of the caravan.

  “You’d better be right about this Andy,” said Jack as he stepped onto the grass. “Annie, have you got your hat? We need to get Annie’s hat, I think it’s under the sink. Hold on I’ll-”

  His words were cut off as a shot blasted the morning's peace apart. A dull thump as a bullet hole appeared in the caravan just above Jack’s head.

  Jack yelled, Annie screamed.

  “Go!” shouted Ash. She grabbed Annie’s hand and pulled the little girl towards the edge of the clearing. Andy grabbed Jack. “Fucking move now!” Andy shouted.

  A volley of shots followed them as they sprinted for the woods. Andy charged over the wall of vegetation into the darkness of the trees, pushing Jack ahead of them.

  They ran.

  Andy pushed his legs forward. Jack, running ahead of him, stopped and reached for Annie, picking her up with surprising ease and slinging her over his shoulder. “This way,” he shouted to Andy and Ash, darting off to the left down an embankment. Andy glanced behind him to see several dark figures appear at the edge of the clearing, running into the woods after them. Shots fired; he heard them bounce of nearby trees. The soldiers couldn’t see them, they were taking pot shots.

  The embankment ended in a stream. Their feet splashed through the cold, shallow water.

  “Where’re we going, Jack?” shouted Ash.

  He didn’t answer, just kept on running.

  A shot bounced off a tree to Andy's right. Everyone ducked, and Annie screamed again. Andy looked up to the top of the embankment, a soldier was running there.

  “Stop!” shouted the soldier.

  Another shot. A thud behind him. Ash. He turned round to see Ash lying face down in the stream.

  “Ash!” he shouted. He ran back to her and pulled at her shoulders. “Come on, get up, run!” She didn’t move. Andy’s hands were covered in something black, sticky. Blood. A hole in the back of Ash’s head fountained blood into the stream, where it spiraled away to nothing in the fast flowing water.

  The air left him as if he had been hit in the gut. He looked up the stream. Jack and Annie were disappearing into the dark.

  A second later, someone standing beside him. “Fucker,” said the figure, and Andy felt a blunt pain in his head for just a millisecond before
everything went black.

  Chapter 18

  Ellie rubbed Dalby’s shoulders. He let out a deep sigh. “That’s just what I need,” he said.

  “You need to relax too, you know,” she said.

  “I don’t get the time. It’s hard to be King.” He smiled and took her hand. “Don’t you need to feed Eddy?”

  “Stop trying to get rid of me, you. I want to help.”

  “I don’t know how you can. This business with Ash and Andy… You say you knew them?”

  “I do. It’s strange, I never would have imagined them as acting like this.”

  “Rebellion needs to be nipped in the bud before it becomes too powerful.” He stood up. “Go and get me Chris.”

  Ellie left the office and walked to a nearby room where some soldiers sat around, playing games on their phones. Now that electricity was back online, it felt just like the old days, thought Ellie. Everyone with their phones. There had been days of tears as old photos had been swiped through, old videos played. She had cried herself when looking at the pictures of her and Edward, her son’s father. But that passed quickly. She had been hurt enough in the past year and a half to know there was no profit in lamenting what had been. She was with Dalby now. Mac was gone, but Dalby would be a greater protector for Eddy than even Mac was. Besides, she actually liked Dalby. He was strong, he knew how to get what he wanted. He had power.

  “Chris,” said Ellie. Chris put his phone down immediately and stood up. No one ever used to respond to her like that. “The Major wants to see you.”

  “Coming,” said Chris. He pocketed his phone and followed Ellie into the office.

  “Take a seat, First Lieutenant,” said Dalby, smiling and motioning for Chris to sit down opposite. Ellie sat on the window ledge. Chris glanced at her; she knew he hated when she sat in on their meetings.

  “We have a problem, Chris. Last night, I’m sure you heard, we suffered another attack. From the inside this time, from people we trusted. Andy and Ash, our head Runner, attacked and nearly killed Sergeant Arthurs out by the caravan. It was a coordinated assault, aiming to free Jack.”