by Gavin Zanker
‘I’m sure the board won’t be manipulated,’ Malcolm said. ‘They’re too wily for that.’
‘True, I suppose I shouldn’t let him get under my skin,’ Julian said as they started along the corridor, passing a line of staff on their way to clean the board room. ‘You think more of them would have croaked by now,’ Julian continued. ‘It’s more and more like having meetings in a cemetery. Bunch of old boys, so stubborn they refuse to let death take them.’ He glanced sideways at Malcolm. ‘No offence.’
Malcolm forced a humourless smile. ‘That’s fine. I’m not as old as you seem to think.’
‘Really?’ Julian said, studying him. ‘Must be the grey hair, I suppose.’
‘So the board,’ Malcolm said, returning to the subject at hand. ‘They agreed on the proposal to take action against the Mayor?’
Julian nodded. ‘Eventually. After a lot of talk of consolidating our power base and risk versus reward. If you don’t shove a graph under their noses, then they don’t agree on anything.’ Julian sighed and rubbed his face again. ‘That Zachary wasn’t any help either. His father was a smart man. Careful. He could see reason. His son seems to oppose my ideas for sport.’
‘Probably just making waves, trying to create a reputation to move out from under his father’s shadow. So I assume the board left the details to you then?’
‘They did, with just a few caveats. No open war, obviously. All action must be deniable. But thanks to Reinhold’s posturing around the city, we have the go ahead to strike against his assets now.’
‘The Mayor does seem to enjoy singling out the Syndicate these days,’ Malcolm said. ‘Blaming us for the generators last month, for example.’
‘Ah those rusty things break down all the time, they aren’t worth the money it takes to keep them running. I wouldn’t be surprised if Reinhold blew up his own city infrastructure just to swing some blame onto us.’
‘You think it was his own doing?’
‘Well we didn’t do it, so who else? The Dawnists?’
Malcolm raised an eyebrow. ‘You think they’re capable?’
‘Pah, they’re too busy hiding in their compound these days. Too afraid to come out from behind their safe walls.’
The two men turned down a corridor, where a fresh-faced young woman stopped to speak with Julian. Malcolm checked his watch as they paused. He had a meeting scheduled with a representative of the circus up on the surface soon, finalising a trade agreement, plus he still had to plan the coming action against the Mayor with Julian. Malcolm coughed, and Julian glanced at him before wrapping up his conversation with the young woman.
‘She’s a pretty one isn’t she?’ Julian said as they continued through the building.
‘I can’t say I noticed.’
‘You sure you’re not a dinosaur?’ Julian said teasing him. ‘Say, did you hear about that fire south of the city?’
‘I heard something about a forest fire,’ Malcolm said. ‘Probably nothing to worry about.’
‘Come to think of it,’ Julian said, ‘I have heard some whispers of movement down there. Even a few vague reports of figures seen looking down into the city from the south side.’
‘No doubt drunks, or possibly stray outlanders from the south. Doubtful it’s worth worrying about. We should focus on real problems.’
‘Could be Ravagers,’ Julian said, raising an eyebrow. ‘Those savages rearing their heads again would certainly complicate things.’
‘Ravagers haven’t been seen around here for years. As far as we know, they’re still skulking around the Barren Expanse in the east. And if they did show up here en masse, nothing short of an army would stop them, so why worry?’
‘You’re an optimistic man, aren’t you?’ Julian said in a sarcastic tone. ‘Sometimes I wonder why I picked you as my advisor.’
‘You didn’t pick me, I picked you,’ Malcolm said matter of factly. ‘And I like to think we balance each other out.’
Julian smirked. ‘All right, let’s head to my office and start planning these strikes.’
‘I think a solid place to begin would be interfering with some of the trade from Kiln Commons and Carson Waters.’
Julian nodded. ‘That should make Reinhold sit up and take notice.’
‘We could hit the traders before they enter the city, and pin the blame on bandits. If we can cut off the Mayor’s supplies it will certainly weaken his grasp on the city.’ Malcolm furrowed his brow. ‘Though I have no wish to see more people suffering if we can help it.’
‘No, we’re not sadists, old boy. All food will get through untouched. We might even have to take it and distribute it ourselves to ensure it doesn’t end up in Reinhold’s pockets.’
They arrived at the ornate wooden door with Julian’s name printed across the frosted glass. In this part of the Brentford, the sound of the casino could be heard faintly, the slot machines and music vibrating dully through the thick walls. Malcolm opened the door and stepped into the office to find the Mayor’s wife, Catherine Reinhold, sitting inside.
‘Er, good day,’ Mrs Reinhold said, rising from her seat in alarm and tucking her hair behind her ears.
‘Catherine, nice to see you again,’ Julian said as he strolled around to his desk.
Malcolm frowned at her presence, especially considering the recent radio debate which had become quite heated between the two of them. ‘Mrs Reinhold, it’s a pleasure to see you again,’ he said. ‘Though I am surprised to see you here. I didn’t notice your name in the appointment diary.’
Mrs Reinhold started to speak, but Julian interrupted. ‘I invited Catherine here to collaborate on some charity work we’re planning. Turns out that despite our differences, we both share a passion for helping the unfortunate.’
Judging by her flustered expression and Julian’s poorly veiled excuse, Malcolm realised this was far from an official visit. ‘Well then,’ he said, touching his forehead as he backed towards the door. ‘If you would excuse me, I have a few matters to attend to.’ He caught Julian’s eye who was now perched on the desk. ‘We can start work later then I assume?’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll come find you,’ Julian said, turning his attention back to his visitor.
Malcolm turned and left, clicking the door shut behind him. He walked away down the corridor, shaking his head as he heard the sound of papers being scattered to the floor. There was precious little morality left in this place anymore, and he looked forward to the day he could leave it all behind.
CHAPTER 20
AIDEN STEPPED DOWN from the lorry cabin, shading his eyes as he watched the wisps of smoke rising from the smouldering apple tree, hanging in the air above The Oak Arms. Even at this distance, the acrid taste of wood smoke lingered on his tongue.
‘Why would someone burn the tree?’ Leigh asked, as she hopped down from the cabin.
Aiden glared at the destruction, feeling anger build inside him. ‘To watch it burn. Or maybe just to watch the people who care see it destroyed.’
‘Do you think Sharon and Frank are okay?’ Leigh asked.
‘Stay here with Hitch,’ Aiden said, his tone cold as he stalked forwards.
He reached the wooden door to the pub and kicked it open, already knowing what he was going to find. Inside, the bar was empty. Tables and chairs were upended, and bullet holes pitted the walls. Broken bottles lay scattered, the glass crunching underfoot as Aiden stepped further inside. A man’s body, its chest riddled with buckshot, lay slumped back over one of the tables. Moving closer, Aiden recognised him as the strange wanderer in the trench-coat who had put him on edge during his last visit.
Aiden combed through the house, checking for any sign of Frank or Sharon, but they were nowhere to be seen. The place had been tossed, the valuables and most of the supplies gone. He returned to the bar to find Leigh and Hitch waiting there.
‘Did you find them?’ Leigh asked. She glanced nervously at the body as she righted a stool and took a seat at the bar.
‘No.’
‘I don’t see Trish anywhere. Maybe the three of them got away before this happened?’
‘I told you to wait behind,’ Aiden said, his voice sharp. ‘But no, I didn’t find their bodies.’
‘So you think they’re okay then?’
Aiden brooded, resting his hands on the bar and ignoring Leigh’s question. He had no time for pointless optimism or naivety. Frank and Sharon either made it out, or were taken somewhere to suffer. Either way, their lives were over now. Everything they had built here was destroyed.
‘Maybe we should say a few words for them?’ Leigh said hopefully.
‘Why?’ Aiden said bluntly.
‘I don’t know. Isn’t praying something that people do?’
‘Praying is just a way of making yourself feel better about doing nothing,’ Aiden snapped.
Leigh frowned, shifting uncomfortably at Aiden’s mood. ‘But what if there’s nothing you can do?’
‘There’s always something you can do.’
‘If it makes people happier, then surely it’s a good thing?’
‘Say whatever you like, just don’t expect anyone to hear you,’ Aiden said, feeling disgust as he looked around at the ruins of the bar. He cursed loudly, then picked up a surviving bottle of amber spirit and strode out through to the rear garden.
Aiden unscrewed the cap and took a long drink from the bottle as he studied the smouldering tree. The tree still stood, but it was blackened and bare of any fruit or leaves. Hitch appeared at Aiden’s side, resting a paw against his leg. Aiden glanced down and his expression softened.
‘I’ll be all right,’ he said, scratching behind Hitch’s ear, ‘it’s you I’m worried about.’ Aiden studied the stump where Hitch’s tail had been. ‘You know I’m going to have to clean that properly, and you’re not going to like it.’
Hitch dropped his chin to the ground and looked up at Aiden, his large brown eyes unblinking.
‘Come on, don’t look at me like that. You’ve seen me go through it often enough.’ Aiden dropped his pack and pulled out his first aid pouch. Finding some clean gauze and a bandage, he laid them out and set to work carefully removing the old bandage he had taped over the wound back in the city.
‘Hold still, boy. This is going to sting.’
Aiden held Hitch down firmly with one hand as he doused the wound with alcohol. Hitch yelped and snapped at Aiden’s arm, nipping his skin with sharp teeth.
‘I’m sorry,’ Aiden said, gritting his teeth as he gripped onto the dog, ‘but I can’t have you getting an infection and dying on me. What would I do without you?’
Aiden carefully laid the gauze over the wound and wrapped the bandage around the stump to secure it in place. Hitch licked at the scratch he had put in Aiden’s arm, but otherwise looked utterly betrayed. Aiden reached into his pack and pulled out the last of the smoked chicken he had picked up from Oldtown. He unwrapped the paper and held out the whole thing. Hitch sniffed it, but made no effort to eat.
‘Come on, don’t be in a mood,’ Aiden said. ‘Take it. For me.’
Hitch gently took the food and started chewing it on the grass, chasing it around with his muzzle. ‘Better,’ Aiden said, patting the dog’s head as he took another long swallow from the bottle of spirit. His face still throbbed with pain, and he felt like he could sleep for a solid week.
He spied an apple on the ground nearby, the only one in sight. He knelt down and picked it up, examining it in his palm. It looked immaculate, coloured in vibrant shades of green and red. It occurred to him that this might be the last piece of fruit the tree would ever make. The thought enveloped him in a wave of profound sadness.
‘Aiden,’ Leigh called from inside, pulling him from his thoughts, ‘you’re going to want to hear this.’
Aiden sighed and picked himself up, pocketing the apple. He took one last look at the tree, shook his head, then headed back inside to find Leigh stood by the radio on the bar.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘Listen,’ she said.
The radio was crackling static. Leigh tapped it gently and a familiar voice piped through the speaker. ‘I want men fanning out and heading south from town. Him and that kid were heading north in a truck, so they should be easy to spot.’
‘How many men?’ a voice asked. ‘We’re still short of-’
‘All of them, you imbecile! We’re leaving the Rim now and heading north, so we’ll meet you halfway. I want this cretin found, you hear me? A 5000 token reward to the man who brings him to me! And someone find me some more damn Echo!’ The radio cut out, leaving a quiet static playing over the tinny speaker.
‘That was Blanc, right?’ Leigh whispered. ‘She’s still looking for us. What do we do? I don’t want to go back to that brothel in Kiln Commons.’
‘They’ll be looking for us on the road,’ Aiden said, pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘But they don’t know where we’re really heading. So we’ll make west, leave the road behind, and then north. That should get us around them and all the way to Stryss Forest. It’ll add some time to the journey, but we should be able to avoid any unwanted attention.’
‘More walking then?’ Leigh asked with a groan.
‘More walking,’ Aiden said. ‘At least a few more days trekking over country until we get to Stryss.’
‘Will Hitch be okay walking?’ Leigh asked as the dog slinked into the bar licking his chops.
‘If he’s not, I’ll carry him home myself.’
‘Home,’ Leigh repeated, the anxiety on her face turning to excitement. ‘I can’t wait to see it. Can I do anything to help?’
‘Just keep up and don’t slow us down. And maybe stop with so many questions all the time.’
‘I can do that,’ Leigh said chirpily as she jumped off the stool.
‘I doubt it,’ Aiden said, taking one last swig of the spirit. He left the half-empty bottle on the bar, and the three of them headed out, leaving the deserted pub behind.
CHAPTER 21
AFTER A FEW DAYS of travelling over rough country, Aiden finally stood at the edge of Stryss Forest. An unbroken line of snow-dusted evergreens, mainly spruces and pines, stretched out on either side. A smile touched his face at the sight. He had been too long amid sheet metal and rivets, and it would feel good to spend time back in a natural environment.
‘What’s that sound?’ Leigh asked as distant sounds of saws and axes biting into wood drifted through the forest.
‘Probably loggers from Kiln Commons collecting wood.’
Leigh leaned down to pick up a stick which she idly tossed for Hitch to fetch. ‘But why cut down the trees when they give us air to breath?’
‘You’re a smart kid,’ Aiden said. ‘How did you learn that?’
‘My mum kept plants on her windowsill. She told me they take the bad stuff out of the air and make it good for us.’ Leigh took a step towards the shadowy forest, leaning forward as she peered in. ‘Looks scary in there,’ she said.
‘It’s scarier out here, believe me,’ Aiden said. He took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of damp undergrowth. Hitch, with the collected stick in his mouth, was already wandering away into the trees. ‘You ready to head in then?’
Leigh bit her lip, then nodded slowly. ‘I trust you,’ she said.
Aiden paused. It had never occurred to him that Leigh would place her trust in him so surely. It made him feel responsible for her, but in more of an endearing way rather than a burden. He touched her arm and smiled at her. ‘We’ll be there soon, then you can relax for a while.’
He led the way into the forest where the newer growth at the tree line soon gave way to the denser, heart of the forest. There were no trails here, and passing through the same area never looked the same twice.
‘How do you know where we’re going?’ Leigh asked, skirting around a tangle of thorns. ‘The sun is blocked by all the leaves and there’re too many trees around to see anything.’
‘It’s actually the trees that show me.’<
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Leigh looked at him with a puzzled expression. ‘You’re messing with me, aren’t you?’
‘I’m not,’ Aiden said with a quiet laugh. ‘Ironic isn’t it?’
He explained how trees tend to have thicker, stronger branches on the south side because they received more sunlight, and that’s one of the ways he gauged which direction they were heading in. Then he tried to explain what ironic meant, but gave up after a few minutes.
They continued onwards, picking their way through the dense forest. After a while, Aiden caught sight of a marking he had previously left on one of the tree trunks. An arrow scored into the bark with a slanted line crossing through it. He had littered the forest with subtle markings like these to help him find his way home. They were easily missed and only visible to him since anyone else would mistake them for animal marks or natural indents in the bark.
A rush of wind rustled the trees, causing the canopy high above to shake. A series of metal chimes came from somewhere up high causing Leigh to freeze, wide-eyed.
‘Aiden,’ she hissed, ‘there’s something up there.’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said, pointing upwards. ‘They’re just wind chimes attached to an old doll.’
‘How do you know?’ she asked in a whisper.
‘People think the forest is haunted, so I lashed them up in the trees to scare off any curious people who might want to go exploring too far.’
‘It’s creepy,’ Leigh said, shaking her head and looking away.
‘That’s the idea,’ he said. ‘Come on, I want to get home before nightfall.’
‘Where’s Hitch?’ Leigh asked, concern in her voice as she looked around for the dog. ‘He’s gone.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about him, he’s more at home in these woods than me. He’s probably off chasing rabbits.’
‘Won’t he get lost on his own?’ Leigh asked.
‘Hitch doesn’t get lost, he’s a dog. He could find his way home from anywhere.’