by N. W. Harris
Once Maurice told the kids about the secret weapon and explained that they’d have to fight their way through Shamus’ gang to get downtown where they could shut it down, he paused for a long moment and pivoted around, seeming to look into the eyes of everyone there. No one said a thing, all just looking back at him with expressions that seemed even bleaker than before. They looked like Shane felt when he found out the government was responsible for killing his father and his aunt. Shane felt a surge of anger and sadness well up in him, and he gritted his teeth to keep it from showing on his face.
“Y’all know what Shamus and his gang are capable of, and they don’t want the weapon shut down,” Maurice said, breaking the gloomy silence. “We need people brave enough to fight and not afraid to die.” He looked around. “If you’re willing to go with us, stay where you are. If you’re not, you best head back up the street and put some distance between yourselves and the fighting that’s about to go down.” Maurice pointed away from Shamus’ territory.
Shane held his breath, looking at the somber faces. No one moved for what seemed like an eternity, and Shane became excited at the thought that all these kids were going to help. But then, a tall and skinny kid with dark hair and pale skin turned and walked up the street. One by one, other kids looked down at their feet, as if too ashamed to look at Maurice, and turned away, following the lanky, pale boy. Shane’s hope faded as he watched the would-be army dwindle.
Ten horrible minutes passed before the last of the kids unwilling to fight headed up the block. Shane surveyed those who remained, guessing there were at least fifty of them. Looking at their sad expressions, he wondered how many decided to fight because of bravery and how many because they didn’t care if they lived or died.
“Alright, let’s head back to the hotel and grab all the weapons we can carry,” Maurice said, and then marched across the street and into the alley.
The group parted to let him pass, and then followed him, forming a long line.
“We’ll be able to make it to the capitol with these kids helping us for sure,” Kelly said. “Won’t we?” Her wide eyes looked relieved, but something else seemed to stir in them—a sort of wildness Shane had never seen before. He feared the weapon was starting to affect her brain.
“Yeah,” he replied, trying to sound as optimistic as he could. “We’ll make it downtown without a problem.” He put his arm through hers and tugged her along behind Tracy, who followed the last of their new friends into the shadowy alley.
They walked four blocks and entered a hotel with stacks of food and weapons lining the walls of the dark lobby.
“What happened to the lights, Jules?” Maurice asked a wiry girl with a mullet haircut.
“Don’t know,” the girl replied, chewing on a piece of gum and eyeing Shane and his flak-jacket-and-army-helmet wearing group with suspicion. “Lost power a few hours ago. Seems to be out everywhere.”
“Oh wow,” Maurice replied, scratching his head. “That sucks.”
“Actually,” Tracy interrupted, “it could be to our advantage.”
“How’s that?” Shane asked, glad Tracy was forming a strategy.
“If we head downtown after dark, it’ll be harder for Shamus’ gang to see us without the streetlights working,” she replied, taking her green combat helmet off and holding it under her arm like a football.
“Shouldn’t we leave now?” Shane said, afraid Kelly wouldn’t make it to nightfall.
“No, she’s right,” Maurice answered. “We’ll do a lot better under the cover of darkness.” He glanced at Jules, who wore a look of confusion on her face.
“What’s this about us going downtown and confronting Shamus?” Jules asked, sounding more curious than worried.
“I’ll explain everything later,” Maurice replied. “Take these guys to some rooms so they can get cleaned up and get some rest.” Turning back to Shane, he said, “It’ll be dark in three hours, then we’ll leave. If you guys get a couple of hours of sleep, you’ll do a hell of a lot better in the fight.”
As much as he feared for Kelly’s safety, Shane knew Maurice and Tracy’s logic made sense. He looked at Kelly and then the rest of his group. They all had heavy bags under their eyes, like they hadn’t slept in years.
“Alright,” Shane said to Jules, “lead the way.”
They followed the tall, wiry girl, who wore boys’ blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a black leather vest, through the hotel lobby and down the hall.
“This suite hasn’t been used yet.” Jules opened the door with a key card. “A continental breakfast will be served in the morning,” she added with a comical voice. “Please enjoy your stay.”
“Thanks,” Tracy replied, sounding a little nicer than usual.
Jules smiled at Tracy and bowed, extending her hand into the suite.
“This place is as big as a house,” Aaron said, walking into the main living area.
The rooms had large windows overlooking a garden area, allowing in plenty of light.
“There are two bathrooms—one for girls and one for boys,” Kelly said, and then looked at Tracy. “Mind if I go first?”
Tracy plopped down on the couch in the living room and sighed. “Be my guest.”
“You first in the boys’ room, boss,” Steve said, sighing. He clapped his hand on Shane’s back.
“Thanks,” Shane replied, uncertain as to how he felt to be officially labeled as the leader by Steve.
Too exhausted to give it much thought, he went into the bathroom and showered. He came out with a towel wrapped around him and slipped his pants on. There was a soft knock at the door.
“It’s not locked—come on in.” Shane sat down and then lay back on the bed, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Kelly opened the door, came into the bedroom, and shut it behind her. She had on a clean T-shirt and blue jeans, and her long, blonde hair hung straight and wet down past her shoulders. Shane had seen her dolled up at school and in a disheveled mess over the last few days, but he’d never seen her fresh out of the shower. He felt warmth stirring in his chest, and his face got hot.
“Mind if I sleep in here with you?” she asked with a timid voice.
“Uh…” Shane stuttered. “Sure—I don’t mind.”
“I don’t mean to make you feel weird,” she said, glancing down at her bare feet. “It’s just that Aaron fell asleep in the other bedroom, and Tracy and Steve took the couches.”
Shane patted the bed, trying to act casual, though he felt a little giddy from the idea of her lying near him. “One word of warning,” he said, trying to ease the awkwardness, “I’ve been told I snore like a freight train.”
Kelly chuckled and climbed into bed. She pulled the blanket and sheets out from under him, covering them both. Shane lay still and closed his eyes. Trying to be respectful, he made sure to keep to his side of the bed, though every fiber of his being wanted to roll over and put his arms around her.
“Are you scared, Shane?” Kelly whispered, her sweet breath warm on his cheek.
“Yeah, I suppose I am,” Shane replied. “I mean, who wouldn’t be?”
“You seem so confident… so sure that we’ll make it downtown and shut the weapon off,” Kelly said, her voice shaky. “You don’t seem scared at all.”
“I guess I’m just trying to hold it together the best I can.” Shane felt his face getting hot from Kelly’s compliment.
“I’m so scared,” Kelly said, inching closer to him. “I know it sounds strange, but I feel like my mind is being taken over, like I’m losing myself.”
Shane feared it was because of the weapon. Kelly slid next to him, pressing into his body. She pulled his arm around her and laid her head on his shoulder. Her hair smelled flowery and clean from the hotel shampoo. Shane wrapped his other arm over her and pressed his lips to her forehead.
“You’re just exhausted,” Shane said, trying to use a calm voice, though his heart raced and he was short of breath from her nearness. “Get some rest, and
you’ll feel better.”
“You’re probably right,” Kelly replied, her eyes closing. “Can you promise me something?”
“Sure—anything.”
“If I don’t make it, promise me you’ll go back and make sure Natalie is okay.” Kelly’s voice faded, sounding like she was half asleep.
“I promise,” Shane replied, combing the hair out of her face. “But you’re going to make it, so that won’t be necessary.”
The sound of her heavy breathing told Shane she’d drifted off. He looked up at the ceiling, still holding her tight in his arms. A few days ago, he’d have given anything to lie next to her and hold her like this, never imagining it would ever happen. It was like one of his wildest fantasies had come true, but unfortunately, in the middle of his worst nightmare. He wondered what it would be like to be this close to her under happier circumstances, hoping they survived so he might find out.
A knock on the door woke Shane with a start. The sun had set, and thick darkness engulfed the room.
“Yeah,” Shane yelled, hating he had to get out of the comfortable hotel bed. He felt like he’d just fallen asleep and, with Kelly pressed against him, he wanted to stay where he was forever.
The door opened, and a flashlight shined in.
“You two lovebirds ready to roll?” Steve teased.
Aggravated and irritable, Shane almost objected to being called lovebirds, but Kelly spoke before he had a chance.
“We’re coming,” Kelly said through a yawn, climbing off the bed and stretching.
That she didn’t retaliate to Steve’s comment sent heat surging through his body all over again. Shaking off the embarrassing surge of emotion, Shane got up, feeling like the short nap made him sleepier instead of refreshing him.
They followed Steve out into the living room, which was lit up by a battery-powered lantern sitting on the coffee table. Jules waited by the front door, her arms crossed and her expression impatient. Shane and Kelly slipped on their body armor and helmets, and then Aaron handed them their guns. The cold metal of the M-16’s stalk in Shane’s hands brought the reality of the battle they would soon face to the surface.
He glanced at Kelly, remembering the tender moment they’d shared a couple of hours ago, and how it seemed like the weapon was starting to affect her mind. Shane was scared fully awake, knowing he had to keep her safe—had to shut down the weapon before it got to her.
“Follow me,” Jules said, then turned and led the way out of the room, down the hall and into the lobby.
Kids milled around the lobby, filling their backpacks with extra ammo and supplies and loading their guns. A cloud of excitement and dread amplified the tension in the room. Jules led Shane and his group over to a couple of tables set up with food. Shane picked up a sandwich and a soda, taking a big bite. His nerves were winding tighter by the second, and he didn’t have much of an appetite, but he knew he’d need the energy so he forced the sandwich down as fast as he could.
“You guys get some rest?” Maurice asked, walking across the lobby toward them.
“A little,” Tracy replied, sounding annoyed by his concern, like the business at hand was far more important. “Are your people ready?”
“They’re all on edge,” Maurice said, glancing around the lobby. “But they’ll be fine.”
Jules provided backpacks with water bottles and snacks for each member of Shane’s team. Tracy split the remaining M-16 clips between them, and Shane stuffed the six she gave him into his pack. Trying not to worry they’d run out of ammo before they made it to the capitol, he put the backpack on and slung his gun over his shoulder. Walking over to the busted-out glass that was once the front entrance to the hotel, he gazed out into the darkness.
He remembered his football coach telling him a team could only be as strong as its leader. These kids would be looking for an example of courage and aggression. Maurice seemed to be a natural leader, and Shane wasn’t sure he could do any better. But he couldn’t leave Kelly’s or any of his other friends’ safety in the hands of a stranger. Whether he liked it or not, Shane had to take charge of these kids and lead them downtown. He took a deep breath, trying to channel Coach Rice one more time. He turned around, facing the kids scattered across the lobby.
“Alright people,” he boomed. They all stopped chattering and turned toward him, eyes wide with anticipation. “We got a hell of a fight ahead of us, but we have the advantage. Shamus’ gang fights for the sake of fighting—they have nothing to live for. We fight for our little brothers and our sisters. We fight to protect those we love,” Shane glanced at Kelly, “so we cannot lose.”
The kids stared at him, as if waiting for him to say something else. Shane had run out of words, and he hoped they’d cheer and rush out of the building into battle—like the football team heading onto the field. Of course, this wasn’t a game. Shane could tell by the frightened looks on their faces that they knew many of them would die on this dreaded night.
“Let’s go!” Shane shouted, pivoting on his heel.
He hoped the kids would stand up and follow him, but he didn’t dare look back to find out if they did. He knew he couldn’t show any hesitation, and he’d fight his way downtown by himself if they didn’t join him anyway. There was no turning back for Shane—he was going to shut the weapon down or die trying.
“You heard the man,” Maurice said with a booming voice behind him. “On your feet—let’s do this.”
A rustling and a wave of chatter followed. When Shane turned down the sidewalk, Kelly stepped to his right side and Aaron on his left. He dared a glance over his shoulder and saw Tracy and Steve behind him. Maurice’s people spilled out of the hotel and fell in after Shane’s brave little group, following them down the street.
They’d gone a block, weaving around car accidents and stepping over the bloated carcasses of adults, when Shane heard Maurice yell at the chattering mob, “Keep quiet! We don’t want them to hear us coming.”
A moment later, Maurice jogged up and walked next to Shane. He carried his black shotgun and had two pistols strapped to his waist that looked like the type the police used.
“While I admire your general badassness in leading us into the fight, we can’t have you guys marching into Shamus’ teeth at the head of the group,” Maurice said.
Shane looked at him, surprised by the comment. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you guys are the only ones who know how to shut off this super weapon that’s downtown, right?”
“Yeah—I suppose so,” Shane replied, not slowing his urgent pace.
“So we need to get you past Shamus’ gang alive, so you can do what you got to do,” Maurice said, his tone saying it should be obvious.
“What do you propose?” It relieved Shane that Maurice was thinking on his feet and acting like the leader Shane suspected he might be.
“I say we have my people surround you, and then we’ll push straight towards the capitol building. Once we’re there, we can hold off Shamus’ gang while you guys go inside and do your thing.”
“Okay—sounds good,” Shane replied. The stocky kid turned to go back to his group. “Hey Maurice,” Shane said, stopping him.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Thanks for helping us, man.”
“I didn’t think we had a choice,” Maurice replied, flashing a smile.
Two minutes later, Maurice had passed through the crowd behind Shane and his friends. Shane heard the jovial kid telling everyone to turn off their flashlights and ordering some of them to run ahead and take up position in front of the group. Half of the mob ran forward on either side of Shane, more kids than he saw earlier when Maurice called for those brave enough to help at the parking structure. Shane realized, to his relief, Maurice must’ve gathered more recruits while he napped, and now he was surrounded by a small army of brave teenagers.
“We should cover the upper parts of the buildings on either side,” Tracy said, waving the barrel of her gun at the second floor of
an office building they passed. “I’m betting they’ll attack us from up there.”
The wind kicked up, covering the noise of hundreds of feet pattering down the dark, five-lane street. Lightning flashed across the sky, and Shane worried they might have to deal with another tornado on top of all the daunting challenges already ahead of them. But other than the brewing storm, the city seemed quiet. Shane hoped Shamus’ people had sought shelter and called it a night. So many lives would be saved if they could make it to the capitol building undetected.
A motorcycle engine roared to life down a side street to their right, followed by another to their left, shattering any chance they hadn’t been noticed. The engines revved and then grew quieter, headed toward downtown. Shane guessed they were scouts who went to tell Shamus to prepare for the approaching assault.
“They’ve spotted us,” Shane shouted, adrenaline pumping through his veins and sweat forming on his brow. “Brace yourselves, people.”
The sound of shotguns cocking and safeties clicking off rippled through the crowd around Shane. Two blocks later, motorcycles zipped up and down streets parallel to the one he and his small army walked on. The number of whining motorbikes increased with each block—giant, angry hornets getting ready to attack. When Shane and his mob walked over the hill, he caught a view of flashlights and torches flickering ahead, undoubtedly a gang of Shamus’ people forming to stop the invasion into their territory.
Shane could barely make out Maurice walking at the head of the pack with his shotgun pointed down such that he could raise it in an instant and fire if necessary. They made it to the bottom of the hill and approached the gang of thugs. A flash of lightning illuminated Shamus’ tall, skinny form at the head of the pack of armed teenagers, which looked to be as many in number as Shane’s new allies. Maurice raised his free hand and stopped the mob behind him a half block from Shamus.
“What are you preppies doing down in this neck of the woods?” Shamus asked, shining his flashlight up from under his chin in a way that cast his eyes in shadows and reflected off his gold grill. The boy obviously had a flair for the dramatic—he looked like the devil.