by Jack Lance
He stepped back to get a broader look at it all. There was Barton and Cix Beldin, and the various people associated with the first escape. The people who had died had green thread leading to crosses, while the ones who had survived had yellow threads leading ahead to later dates. There were brief descriptions below each, describing how they should die, not in the past tense as would be a documentation of something that had occurred, but in the future tense, as in something you were contriving to happen. He looked ahead to the plan featuring Old Gang, and how a network of droids would be used to monitor what would happen when they got close to actually exiting the planet. Then to the Sagar family, and his betrayal of their trust, and how his connection to the widowed heir, with the absence of most of the other heirs to the Sagar fortune, would be manipulated in the final plan. The final plan was what came next on the calendar, where very particular people had been earmarked as crucial to a successfully escape. Randall and Thom were a part of this, as was Wendall Jayne.
Randall blinked away his tears.
“He knew we’d find this.” Thom said.
“The Beldins.” Randall said weakly, beginning to cry. “The Sagars. Those poor bastards from Old Gang. You killed them all you son of a bitch!”
Randall lurched at Bailey to attack him with both hands, but Bailey moved also, grabbing Randall by his chest and lifting him high up into the air, with more strength than would naturally be attributed to someone of his size. Bailey turned Randall around in the air and pinned him up against the wall.
“I had to do it!” Bailey almost pleaded at him, as Randall wept and hung limp from his hands. “Now Old Gang deserved everything they got. But the Sagars? How could we have brought them with us? They would have gotten us killed before we took three steps. And would you really have wanted to leave them here in this horrible place?”
Bailey dropped Randall who barely caught his weight on his feet.
“So who gave you the right to decide who lives and dies?” Thom said.
“Me! I loved Bede! Realizing she couldn’t come with me, a decision had to be made. The same for her family?”
“The Beldins?” Randall asked, standing up straight.
“Barton and Cix were a mistake.” Bailey said, shaking his head. “I didn’t want them to die.”
Thom pointed at the wall and said “There’s two lines leading to a big old X, just like all the others that died that day. And what about all the rest of the wall that you’ve painted over? After the bit of paper with ‘Escape’ written on it? You’ve pulled it all out and painted over it green.”
“No!” Bailey looked down and shook his head. “I didn’t want the Beldins dead. It wasn’t my fault!”
“What do you mean it wasn’t your fault?” Randall said, annoyed. “I want to know what you mean by that.”
“I don’t believe you, Bailey.” Thom said arrogantly. “And I’m afraid there are going to be a few changes to your little plan. We’re taking over, and you’re taking a back seat.”
“No! You don’t understand!” Bailey yelled.
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand, trust me.” Thom said rolling slowly toward him. “We aren’t scared of you. And if you try your shite with me I’ll spill your guts and leave you behind.”
Bailey backed away to the corner and looked away.
“So be it then.” Bailey said quietly. “The plan is complete and foolproof. If we follow it to the dot, nothing can go wrong.”
Randall walked alongside Thom and said “Credit where it’s due, Aaron. This plan will work, I think.”
From the darkness at the back of the place, Bailey looked up at the two men.
They walked away toward the gangway to the door, keeping an eye on Bailey as they went.
“We’ll be coming back here soon.” Randall said.
“Yeah we know where you live, dickhead.” Thom jibed, but nobody was in the mood to laugh.
They left and Bailey stood for a few moments, before walking over to the mural on the wall. He peeled back a sticker over a piece of card that read “Randall and Thom lead”. Bailey tapped their names and smiled affectionately, before turning away and putting his hands on his hips.
Bailey took out his multi-com and threw it onto the floor. He used it to voice dial up a number, and a moment later a hologram view of Nash Fincle was projected over the floor of the workstation.
The view was of the inside of their mansion in an estate deep within Old Gang territory. He sat slumped over a workstation between banks of monitors showing only static snow. He looked as if he was tired but persisting with his side of the escape plan. There were gunshots and explosions, and the sound of angry screaming from beyond the walls and windows behind him.
“It’s late, friend.” Nash murmured, looking up. “All too late.”
“Nash!” Bailey began. “Have you had any communication from the others?”
“None.” he said with an anxiety rotted look around his eyes. “Can’t you log into those robots and see what’s happening?”
“I’m sorry buddy. I’m not getting a signal from any of them. It might be fine, just keep trying on the coms.”
“I will.” he said, and looked over his shoulder. “East Syndicate are here. They are breaking into the estate. They want me. I have something to tell you, Bailey. I think my family have murdered the Sagars. Just before they left, without asking me, they sent some sort of grenade inside an engagement gift. I think Bede might have been among them. I think my family might have killed her.”
“Your family killed my Bede?” Bailey gave the conversation a mild lip service.
Nash looked up with tears in his eyes “God I had no part in this, Bailey. You’ll tell them that, won’t you, Bailey? If I die tonight? You’ll tell Francine?”
Bailey stared at him over the warped, flickering synchronization, and said “I really think you should tell her yourself, ya know.”
“She won’t see me now. The Sagar’s were some of her oldest friends. And this hasn’t worked. I’m ruined.” he said, and then with a sad glance severed the communication.
Bailey looked at the empty space for a second, leaning forward with his hands on his hips.
After a long sigh he sat back against a bench and voice dialled another number on the multi-com.
Someone picked up without speaking, or projecting an image.
“Hi, it’s me.” he said. “I’ll be right over.”
He left the warehouse and then the building, and drove to an apartment neighbourhood on the outskirts of the East Syndicate territories.
He got out of the car on a stable-lane leading along the back streets of one of the huge apartment complexes, and let the car roll along and down a slope into it.
There were smoky smells from the factories in the neighbouring cavern blowing through here, and it reminded Bailey how lucky he was to have an apartment in his block.
Bailey began skipping through the narrow back streets between the tall buildings. It was very late and the night light on the cavern ceiling bathed the place in a cool blue glow. He passed by the village center square, that was locked up at this hour with only a sleepy tavern winding into the late night.
The narrow side streets became darker as he crossed through them, toward a raised hill of concrete on the outskirts of the town. He made his way up a long flight of steps in the side of the hill finally reaching a mini village at the top.
He walked along the middle of the road there and into one of the linked cul de sacs. The street was broad, with open lawns on either side. It overlooked the apartments on one side and at the other the stone egg enclosure of the cavern could be seen, sloping down to a grass verge beyond.
Bailey skipped to one of the homes on the side overlooking the apartments, and walked through a gap in a tall hedgerow, and through a lawn garden filled with trees and bushes cut into basic shapes.
Bailey opened the door, and walked through the glass décor of the living spaces, past a baby in a cradle that began
to cry on seeing his strange face.
He walked through to the sliding doors leading out onto the balconies, where the light wind flow drowned out the sounds from inside the house. He stepped out to the fence beside Francine Adyms, who wore her white, fur lined night gown loose in the warm air.
“Are they dead?” she said, gazing out over the dark towers.
“I don’t think so.” Bailey said. “They’ll spare Nash, if only to question him.”
She slapped a hand on the stone wall of the balcony, and said “You promised to get me and my little one out of here… if I did what you said…”
“You can trust me, Franky.” Bailey said looking at her. “You’re coming too. I just need you to play your part a little while longer.”
She looked at him then nodded and said “I’ll try.”
“I think they took out the Sagars before they went. It’s probably better you hear it from me.” Bailey said quickly.
She slapped the balcony again and slowly sighed “Dammit! Dammit!”
“You shouldn’t be alone tonight. Do you want me to sleep over?” Bailey asked, smiling.
She looked back out over the moonlit rooftops and said “No, Bailey. It doesn’t feel appropriate.”
Bailey looked away, disappointed, and turned his back on the view.
He noticed something in the fake stars above, then looked at Francine and said “Then I guess it’s done.”
Bailey walked back between the glass doors to the front room, and stopped as Francine said “Wait.”
Bailey looked at her through the glass, while far off a horn sounded out over the night air from the factories.
Part III
No Man’s Land
Feeding off the Bruise.
This wont matter. It can’t matter much to me. I’ve annihilated worlds, toppled kings, collapsed stars, damaged creation, threatened God. Just a planet. Just a night sky. Like all the others.
“Where is he then?” Randall shouted over the noise, as he leaned against the railings of the bridge across the promenade. Many had gathered at the end of the bridge closest to the old Sagar building, led by Randall who had brought them here to meet with Bailey, concerning the escape.
The whole thing was meant to be top secret, and so this location had been decided for the meeting months in advance. Traffic passed them a little too often for comfort, as the thoroughfare here had now been adopted by the exiles as a shortcut for anyone seeking to cross the bridge to The Octagon. They could drive through this hollow now at will in the absence of East Syndicates presence.
The Sagar building was now mostly burnt out, with a fire still blazing at one side. Some of the building had survived the fire however, including Colec’s company and the warehouses.
The glass elevators had been kept active beside the slimy concrete parking lanes that had overgrown somewhat in the months since the fall of East Syndicate.
There were still a few other businesses running within the place, but without the overall coordination of the Sagars, the lesser vulture-like gangs of the colony had swarmed in to loot the place. All of this had calmed by this time, and now it was a mostly quiet place, although it was wise to watch your back when in the vicinity.
“Have you tried his flat? I mean… Gen Colec’s old apartment.” Thom yelled over the slow flowing wind.
“He has a job to do!” Jayne said. “We’re going nowhere without his pocket book.”
“We need Bailey!” Bethany Luk yelled, and the others present grumbled and nodded.
“Ok, this is serious.” Randall said. “We need to find him quickly. Spread out, and put the word around. Me and Thom will check the flat again. Franky Adyms might have a key.”
They dispersed, some back through to the Sagar block hollow to collect their cars, and some across the bridge to The Octagon opposite.
Randall, Thom and Jayne went to collect a car, that they had parked behind a large sign advertising toothpaste, just before the bridges.
They took it up onto the crystal highways, and down to the cavern containing Bailey’s apartment.
They parked the car outside and walked into the tower and through the lobby. They called an elevator plate that rose up below their feet, as two other surly looking men joined them. They looked as if they wanted to be left completely alone, and so as they were lifted up through the shaft in the tower they kept to the opposite side of the glass platform.
When they got off the antigravity elevator the other two continued on upward to a higher floor.
The three walked along the quiet corridor to the door to the apartment of the late Gen Colec.
Randall looked at the other two then knocked and raised his voice “Bailey? It’s us answer the door, please!”
There was no reply, and Thom waved for them to leave.
“No.” Randall waved back, and leaned to listen at the door.
He then stepped back, and lunged at the door, kicking it hard and snapping it from its hinges. Part of the hinge landed loudly on the cold marble floors, while the rest of the door hung at an angle in the corridor within.
Thom held his face in his hands, while Jayne shrugged and followed Randall into the apartment.
“Bailey?’ Jayne said leaning around Randall. “It’s just us.”
They crept through the place and finding the front room empty, but lived in, continued through to the bedrooms.
Randall leaned to listen to the main bedroom door and then pushed it open with force.
It slammed against the wall and they looked in at the bed. A non functioning colony robot could be seen lying under the cover shocking them just long enough to take them off guard. Randall felt the press of cold steel on his temple as Bailey held a gun to his head.
“It’s just us.” Randall gritted his teeth.
“You should be more careful, Randall.” Bailey said stepping out in front of them dressed in a robe and slippers.
“I was about to say the same thing.” Randall said pointing at Francine’s clothes lying all over the floor.
Bailey looked at the clothes and then walked toward them, pushing them back toward the living room.
“Where the hell have you been, Bailey?” Jayne snapped. ‘Hiding out here with Franky?”
“Alright.” he said. “There’s some things you should know.”
They sat down in the living room and Bailey sat back in the rocking chair at the window.
“A week ago someone entered a bar in Old Gang Central, and placed a bounty on my head. I have no idea who it was but the sum was ginormous. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch, but I didn’t want to risk contacting any of you, and having the heat come your way.”
“Hell.” Thom said. “I guess this complicates things. We need you to get out there. You’re the only one that can bring the rest of this plan together.”
“I just need to hide out here for another week or two. Other bounties and easier pickings will come along.”
“We don’t have a week or two.” Jayne said. “The window is opening now. We have to go within days.”
“If I go out there this will find me. Bullets will find me. There will be a whole army of hitmen moving south as we speak. I just hope none of them figure out about this place.” Bailey rubbed his forehead.
“Well who made the contract? Maybe we can sort it out with them?” Jayne said looking at the others.
“It could be anyone, really. It could even be one of you.” he looked up at them, not smiling.
“That would be a bit silly wouldn’t it?” Thom said. “We’d blow our own chances of getting off this stupid little moon.”
“I’m pretty sure it was Nash Fincle.” Bailey said looking away, at the corridor to the bedroom. “It was just a matter of time before he found out I was tapping Franky.”
“It seems a little strange that you would.” Randall said “You introduced them and now you’re shafting her? If you’ve got a reason for doing this then I’d like to know.”
“No reason this t
ime, friend. It just happens this way sometimes.”
Randall shook his head and said “Look, the bottom line is we’re leaving. This plan is already in motion. We need you to do your part and contact these people. We don’t know them. They won’t listen to us.”
“I know.” Bailey sighed. “I guess if it’s started… then I have no choice.”
Bailey looked up at the window, and the daylight from between the towers opposite.
“Damn I’ve been in here so long now. I feel a bit dizzy at the thought of going out there.”
“No excuses.” Jayne said. “None of us can stay here any longer. We’ve all been involved in the events of the past year. We’re starting to stand out like sore thumbs. Eventually people are going to start blaming us, and in this place it’s a death sentence. Nash Fincle is trying to make something good out of Old Gang now, but even he won’t ignore these rumors forever. And now you say he knows about you and his girl. It’s a mess, Bailey.”
Bailey looked at them and said “Well… there’s always someone with a gun to your head in this place. I guess you can’t let it stop you.”
Randall stepped toward them a little, and said “We’ll be fine. Just stay away from the North as much as possible. Bailey, we’ll stay in touch on the multi-com. You just get those people into the labs with us. We’ll do the rest.”
“Pull together and prosper. The South Syndicate way.” Bailey said, looking up with a little smile. “Let’s rock this gig.”
They walked out of the block and down to the street.
Bailey said his goodbyes and watched as the three drove off, and then went his own way. He pressed the button on Colec’s stable key and his car rolled along the lane.
“Officer Port Farnon.” he said as he sat in the driving chair, and the hologram route finder mapped out a course from his current location on the windscreen.
Bailey took his multi-com and scrolled through the small hologram readout to the number for Farnon, and selected it.
‘Hi buddy.” he said as Farnon picked up. “I need to talk with you urgently. Right now if possible. Is that fine? It’s good news and bad news mate. As per usual, I know. Alright buddy. I have your co-ords, I’ll be there in a sec.”