by Vance Huxley
“No, Owen.” Faraz, the RAF liaison, smiled happily. “Better yet, they were more accurate because the pilots could get in close. There were a few attempts to shoot them down, but nothing like the Reivers’ rockets.” He glanced at his reports. “We could have thinned out that refugee column before it split up.”
“No, we want them to eat the Reivers out of house and home. They’ll all be starving before spring.” The smile from Joshua had a lot of anticipation. “They’ll have to assault experienced troops in fortified positions, just to get food. Once we’ve broken their fighters, we can roll over those caves and crofts with the women and children.”
“When will Inverness go on the TV?” Ivy’s smile faltered, as did others. “There will be an upsurge in trouble in the enclosures, especially at the Marts.”
“So we don’t tell them Inverness has been cleared. That way the British Army and RAF won’t get curious about who did all the fighting.” The youngest Cabal member, Gerard, shrugged. “They know we’ve got some foreign troops, but the numbers and armour might make some officers nervous.”
“Good idea.” Grace’s aristocratic face twisted in a scowl. “The animals in my work camps would get stirred up, and I’d have to shoot some and recruit more. Leave all the mushrooms in peace, in the enclaves as well. Announce extra food in the Marts next Christmas after the Reivers are finally finished, available because the rebels are no longer stopping production. If I issue beer in the work camps the animals will get drunk and celebrate.” Heads around the table nodded in agreement.
“What about London? Weren’t we going to deal with that to free up troops?” Boris the diplomat looked through several papers. “I’m sure it came up, or am I thinking of Hull?”
“We might be better waiting until the Reivers are broken. Since these new troops seem to be working out so well, they can spearhead the drive in London as well.” Vanna sneered at Joshua. “They’re mercenaries, more like my people than your soldiers. That means they’ll kill anyone we tell them to without insisting on rescuing babies and pensioners. We won’t need them once they’ve done their job, so casualty numbers won’tbe a problem.”
“Better yet.” Joshua smiled broadly, completely unfazed. “The British Army can follow up if any attacks are driven back. That will harden their attitudes, because the scum in London won’t be listening to reason by then. They’ll be sending out children with bombs.” He glared back at Vanna, a challenge in his voice. “I suppose the contractors will be holding back again, Vanna? You may as well send the armour back if it isn’t going to be used.”
Vanna narrowed her eyes. “I already have people holding strongpoints inside the city, including the comms centre in the Tower of London. Places where your precious professionals might see the wrong things and get a nasty attack of conscience. They’ll have already started processing, long before your regulars are allowed in.” She smiled sweetly, with a quick glance towards Ivy. “I’ll send the armour back if you can spare the troops to guard the Mart convoys?”
Sure enough, Ivy jumped in. “Don’t you dare mess up the convoy system, not now it’s working!” Despite trying again, eventually Joshua gave up on the armour. He wasn’t happy about how many real fighting vehicles the contractors now had. The number kept creeping up, but the Specials still didn’t have anything like enoughto stand a chance against the Army.
Joshua ignored the rest of the Cabal as they worked through the rest of today’s business. He was deep in thought. Where had that idea come from, that the contractors couldn’t take on the Army? There’d been no hint they’d rebel. Something had sparked the idea, something someone had said or done. Maybe the increasing numbers of contractors and the dwindling number of regulars. Some of the officers were definitely pro-Cabal, part of the conspiracy, and they were being pushed up through the ranks. Maybe he needed to drop a hint or two to a few old-style officers, about possible trouble from the contractors. A very careful hint so it couldn’t be traced back. Joshua didn’t fancy becoming another example like Nate, ‘accidentally’ exposed to an attack by gangsters. By the time the meeting broke up, Joshua had made one decision. He would replace his special protection squad with regular Army personnel, squaddies who weren’t part of the conspiracy so they couldn’t be bought.
*
Cyn Palace:
A few hundred miles south of Joshua, in London, hangovers were more of a problem than any conspiracy. An armed man opened the door into a room close to the old library and the fields. Preacher looked in at the two pale faces, and the way they held their heads. “The wages of sin.”
“The rotgut came from one of your blokes.” Sinner winced as he moved. “I hope he doesn’t brew your communion wine, or your lot will be laid out if we need them on a Sunday.”
“Our communion wine isn’t exactly the right vintage, but it won’t stop anyone doing the Lord’s work come the day.” The man wearing a clerical dog-collar, Preacher, patted his pocket. “I brought you something to make your New Year a little happier.”
“Aspirin? Cyanide?”
“I’ll take the cyanide.” The woman, Sin, opened bleary eyes. “Why are you so cheerful? Did God nip down and smite the bloody cordon in the night?”
“No.” Preacher put his hand in his pocket and brought out a metal ball, one with a pin and a handle on the side. “We’ve been contacted. There’s a group trying to coordinate, and they’ve got resources. Some of the government’s faithful guardians have jumped ship, and brought goodies.” He tossed the grenade up and down a couple of times.
Sinner frowned, trying to focus on the grenade. “One, two, or a crate of those? We’ll need a shitload to defend London.”
“Not if we choose where and when to fight. This group want to work that out now, decide how to channel any attack, block roads, and plant mines.” Preacher sat down and tested the coffee pot, then poured a mug. “If we start preparing now, we might get the Army to pull back and leave us be. It’s not much of a life, but?” He raised the mug.
Sinner raised his mug in reply. “But it is a life, and better than the alternative.” He glanced at Sin. “Well?”
“If they’ve got that sort of gear, I think it’s time.” Sin groaned and took a swig of her coffee. “You tell him.”
Sinner turned back to Preacher and pointed at the grenade. “We’ve got our own stock of those, and an ex-soldier who came with his rifle, a shitload of ammo and a couple of other toys.” The big man chuckled at the expression on Preacher’s face. “Surprised? Wait until you find out why. Now when do we get to meet this group? We aren’t handing everything over.”
“Nor are we. They’re more into organising what everyone’s got to mesh them together, I think. The grenade is a sweetener because they want to look through that library of yours.” Preacher looked at the hand bomb before gently placing it on the table. “Which sort of suits your librarian’s style. For now, I’d rather not tell the rank and file, and I won’t be spreading your bit of news to anyone. According to these blokes, there are government spies in London, embedded in some of the gangs.” Even Sin managed to concentrate as the priest went on to explain what the visitors had told him, about men and women who’d killed themselves rather than talk. Not all the spies were so dedicated, or frightened, and what they’d given up wasn’t encouraging. Time was running out for London.
Blood in the Snow
Any spy reporting on Orchard Close wouldn’t have worried the Cabal, or anyone else very much right now. Not unless they were interested in the preparations for theJanuary dance. All thought of dancingwere abandoned when a woman on a cycle came hurtling down the slushy road and up to the gate. “Alarm! Raid!” Harold heard the shouting and then the clanging alarm while walking down the road from his house, and ran to the gates where Casper and Doll were shouting orders. He saw the cycles coming out and knew it must be serious. Forty-nine had been repaired and hidden, to provide transport in an emergency just like this. Better still, cycles could weave through the rubble-strewn street
s without slowing down much, as Harold proved after shooting Jon the traitor.
Patty ran up the road carrying her baby in its disguise, andlooking around, Harold saw others bringing carefully concealed rifles and muskets. Emmy arrived with her rifle under her coat and a question in her eyes, would Harold let her go this time?Haroldshouted to Doll, in the doorway of the guardhouse.”Ring Tessa and ask her to bring my rifle and the two-twoto the gate please.” He turned to Casper to find out what was happening. It already looked like he’dneed all the firepower he could find.
“Wait a minute, Harold. That might be the whole idea, to either pull you into the open for a sniper or just away from Orchard Close.” Casper sounded serious. Even as he spoke Alfie limpedtowards them, tapping his coat to show he’d brought the old 303. Up the street Tessa could already be seen, bringing the tworifles as requested.
“The whole idea of what?” Harold still didn’t know, but from their faces some people had been alerted over the phone.
“What’s happened?” Ru carried the heavy rifle her accuracy had earned, well wrapped up, while Martha followed with the 308 Mad Max she’d been practicing with lately.
Casper raised his voice. “Our scavengers have been ambushed, by someone who must have killed or knocked out the lookouts. Thirty or so men with guns and crossbowssurrounded our people. They’ve capturedthe whole party alive.”
Harold tried again. “Who has?”
Casper pointed at a weeping woman. “We don’t know. Penny said there were no gang colours, which is why this might be a feint.”
Harold turned to her. “Penny? How come they missed you?”
The young woman sniffled and blew her nose, keeping her eyes on the ground. “I’m sorry. I went to the loo in a house while the rest moved on to scavenge the next ones. While I was stood out of the wind, fastening my coat back up, gangsters appeared from everywhere. There was one short burst of gunfire, then nothing but voices.” She shuddered and glanced up at Harold, then back down again. “One came right past but didn’t see me. I’m sorry, I’m armed but I just hid.” A glance told Harold she meant a machete, not a firearm.
Harold patted her gently on the shoulder. “Well done. Exactly the right thing to do if the rest had to surrender. Who is getting ready?” The last was to Casper but the answer came from behind.
“I am, with mostly Demons and a few others. I’ve gottwenty,including the ten bestshooters. They’ve all brought their crossbows.” All Patty’s Demons made it a point of honour to be above average crossbow markswomen.
“I’ve got a score of the Riot Squad here from mine and Doll’s squads, taken from the walls so they’re already fully armed and ready to go. Casper has sent people to roust replacements.” Alfie stood ready as well, including a spear slung across his back. Doll came up behind him, still strapping on her armoured vest.
Harold thought it might be too late for a reaction anyway. “Weren’t they in motors?”
“It was very quiet out there, so we’d have heard them a long way away.” Penny seemed certain, and that meant the captors and captives were on foot. The cycles could travel at three or maybe four times walking pace.
“They’ll be headed for their motors.” Harold said it but others were thinking the same from their eyes, and the surge to get onthe cycles. The Orchard Close motors were kept outside the side wall but blocked in with a car that had no engine. That had to be heaved aside first, which took time. Even then, the engine noise wouldwarn the attackers long before they got close, but the cycles wouldn’t.
“We have to get moving.” Patty already had a cycle and her Demons were mounting up behind her. “We’ll radio after we start shooting, but not before. No point in warning the scroats.” Harold gave Emmy his Blaser, so she passed her rifle on to another decent shooter. Ten of those with crossbows took a carefully wrapped musket each in case they got close enough.
“Doll, you take the other squad because Alfie’s leg might slow him up.” Harold shook his head as Alfie started to object. “Sorry, but I’d rather have you on the wall with a shotgun or musket. Logan will take your 303. I’ll keep a two-two for emergencies.” Harold wished everyone luck and got out of the way of the cyclists. As the gates closed he set into making sure that Orchard Close were ready for any unwanted visitors. While heading indoors to load muskets out of sight,Harold rememberedthe spies. “Caddi’s watchers! They’ll report the cycles to the Mansion, over the radio, so the kidnappers will hear.”
Casper scowled, glancing in the direction of the spies. “We did this once before, remember. As soon as Penny arrivesI send guards to see them. Caddi’s blokes won’t be harmed, not unless they object.”
“I’ll explain properlyafterwards and give them a beer.” Harold sighed. “I’ll remind them it isn’t actually Caddi’s territory, hopefully without winding the bastard up again.”
“I know the drill. Don’t poke the animals too hard in case they bite. Burying them would be cheaper in beer.” Harold stared after Casper as the big man went to organise the newly arrived guards, chewing over that last remark. Having to put up with the constant provocation annoyed the hell out of Harold, butnow the watchers were bugging Casper as well. He’d better have a little chat, before someone nipped down there one night and disappeared Caddi’s men on a whim.
Loading muskets didn’t take long, which left Haroldpacing up and down and waiting. The scavengers had been over a mile away by road, on the new strip by the water. The cyclists would be going flat out, following Penny’s tracks in the snow, sotheycould be there in four or five minutes. It would have taken the same for Penny to get here, and then at least another five minutes to get everyone ready. Fifteen minutes at least sothe attackermight have marched a mile. Probably less with unwilling captives, especially if any were injured. How near would the gang have risked vehicles? Harold noticed Penny, sat on the kerb with her head in her hands. “Penny?”
Two swollen eyes in a tearstained face lifted to look at him. “I ran away and left them, Harold. Those nasty sods could be doing anything. To my friends. We swore we’d never let them near us again.”
“It’s a raid into hostile territory. They won’t touch your friends until theythink they’re safe. With the tracks in this bit of snow the Riot Squad will catch them before then.” Penny wasn’t believing him. “Come with me and have a cuppa. You tell me everything you can remember about it, while I explain exactly why your friends are safe.”
Harold took her home, where he found that the talking helped him through the waiting as well. After he’d gone through the situationand timings over a cup of tea, Penny finally accepted that her friends weren’t in immediate danger. Harold, Tessa and Sharyn tried to persuade Penny that she’d done the right thing, that the chances of catching the raiderswere much betterthis way. Because she’d hidden and cycled like a maniac to bring the alarm, help would arrive in time. Penny still wasn’t convinced. Harold hoped her friends survived, or it would destroy the young woman.
Harold also tried to work out who’d launched the raid because thirty men wasn’t a feral gang, sneaking around in the fringes of the claimed areas. There were absolutely no clues in the appearance of the gangsters when he questioned Penny. At least talking about it distracted them both as the minutes ticked by without a message.
Casper came to the door, beckoning Harold outside. “Radio, but not ours. It just said ‘clear, bring the motors’ so I’m guessing it was them.”
“Patty and Doll will have heard. They’ll push it.” Harold checked his watch and Patty had been gone ten minutes. “The cyclists can’t be far away now, and engine noise will help our people zero in.”
“But can they stop cars?” Casper dithered. “Maybe we could risk trying to reach Roy and his men on the radio? Get them to move in from the other side?”
“I doubt the radio would reach him, and we daren’t try yet. Don’t worry, if Patty sees their cars, she’ll stop them.” Harold smiled, or maybe snarled. “Patty has twenty full metal jackets for her ba
by. New ammo, not reloads, so they’ll go clean through a car. There’s special rounds with all the other rifles.”
Casper bared his teeth as well, then frowned. “Cripes, how much did they cost?”
Harold glanced warningly back towards Penny. “Plenty, butI had extra credit afterall that Christmas trading. If Doll’s people get close enough to hit with a Mad Max .50pistol,they’ve got a few jacketed rounds as well. Those mighteven break an engine block, I reckon.”
Despite looking more confident, Casper still fretted. “So we wait for gunfire.”
“We wait for gunfire.” Harold went back inside to tell everyone there wasn’t a problem.
*
Over a mile and a half from Orchard Close, the tracks here and there, where the thin snow hadn’t melted, were clear enough for the cyclists to follow them at top speed. Patty slowed as the woman out frontswerved sideways and waved frantically. Bethany peeked around the stump of a wall, but almost immediately scurried back towards the rest, keeping to the side of the road. Patty dismounted to meet her halfway. “A hundred metres, maybe a bit less. They’ve stopped but everyone I saw is looking the other way. A couple glanced towards us but luckily after I’d got into cover.”
Patty scowled. “Waiting for the motors.” They both listened. “Which aren’t here yet. What about our people?”
“Johan is favouring one leg and sort of hunched over. Most of the rest are sat and some are laid.” Bethany shrugged apologetically. “I didn’t wait to count them.”
“He probably objected to how they are treating the women, bless him. How are they being held?” Patty glanced back and beckoned to Doll.Those with rifles and muskets were already splitting from the rest.
Bethany waited for Doll to join them. “As far as I could see, they’re inone big group with guards round them. Everyone’s hands arebehind them so probably tied or handcuffed, but I didn’t see which. There’s not many long guns in sight but some are shotguns and it’s open rubble from here to there. Not even a decent garden wall so we’d lose half the squad getting to the prisoners.”