Sticky threw his bag over the side and ran the length of the gantry. ‘Quickly, Mouse, follow me.’
Mouse froze to the spot, still holding his can of paint. A single shot rang out, hitting the billboard. Mouse dropped his can in panic. Wide-eyed and petrified he clambered over the gantry railings.
‘No, Mouse, not that way, follow me!’ Sticky shouted as he jumped off the gantry onto the wall of a nearby derelict building.
Another shot ricocheted off the gantry railing as Mouse clung on for dear life and looked in horror at Sticky. He tried to climb back onto the gantry but lost his footing and fell to the ground screaming. He hit the dirt with a thud and lay there crumpled and motionless. The Black Hats surrounded him and one kicked his legs to see if he was still alive.
‘He’s dead, send a drone to clean it up.’
‘No!’ Sticky shouted burying his head in his hands.
‘There’s one,’ a Black Hat pointed as another opened fire. The bullets hit the wall just below Sticky as he disappeared into the backstreets.
Chapter Five
The dust storm raged outside the shack, shaking and clattering it like some tin can in the wind. Carl lay in bed under the covers where he felt safe and opened up one eye to survey the room.
‘Do you want some warm water with one of those potatoes you brought back?’ his mother said.
Carl rubbed his eyes and got out of bed. One room was all he and his mother shared now after the projects had been shut down, but it was a haven from the boiling sun and acid rain. He smiled and gave her a hug. Rose was frail and elderly, about 48 years old and nearing the end of her life. Not many people lived beyond 50 in the city, and any who did were so sick and disabled by the pollution and radiation that they wished for a quick, painless death.
‘I think I’ll pass and have this,’ Carl said retrieving the piece of fruit from his bag.
Rose stood there wide-eyed. ‘My God, it must be three years since I saw an apple. It looks so green, can I smell it?’
Carl reached into his bag and pulled out a knife. With one smooth action he sliced the apple in two. ‘Better than that, why don’t you taste it?’ he said handing one half to his mother.
Rose closed her eyes and took a small bite. As she tried to swallow, a tear rolled down her ashen face. ‘I can’t swallow it. My throat’s too sore.’
Carl took the remainder of the apple and pulped it in a dish. Then with a small spoon he fed his mother tiny amounts. Rose chewed every morsel over and over to savour the taste.
‘It’s wonderful, it’s like tasting heaven. Where did you get it?’ she asked.
Carl smiled. ‘Don’t worry about that, Mum. There’s plenty more where that came from and I don’t want you to ever feel hungry again.’
Someone banged on the front door and Carl and his mother jumped with fright. Carl pulled it open a crack to see Peter standing outside engulfed in dust. He opened the door wider and dragged him inside. Peter coughed heavily and removed the scarf protecting his face and wiped the dust from his shoulders.
‘Sorry, I know this isn’t a good day for visiting but I wanted to know how you got on,’ he said, still coughing.
They both looked at Rose who got the message and moved over to the other side of the shack to give them some privacy.
‘Cody’s dead,’ Carl whispered.
Peter’s mouth dropped open. ‘What? How?’
‘Looks like he was gunned down by a sentry drone near a secret entrance to the city.’
‘What secret entrance? I thought the whole place was protected by electric fences and drones,’ Peter said.
Carl nodded. ‘It is, but I followed Cody as far as I could until he was killed. I noticed he was near some sort of waste pipe. It had a heavy metal hatch held in place with six screws. Cody had a screwdriver that fitted, so I used it to gain access.’
‘And then what?’ Peter asked in anticipation.
Carl exhaled heavily. ‘Pete, it was like nothing you’ve ever seen. A huge pile of garbage, a mountain of good stuff thrown away by people who clearly have a lot more than we do. I mean, you won’t believe it. What they call trash, we spend our whole lives trying to get through bartering.’
‘Do you want a drink, Peter?’ Rose asked.
‘No, thank you, I’ve got to get back soon.’
‘Yes, I know,’ Rose said. ‘But stay a while if you need to. That dust storm doesn’t look like it’s getting any better.’
‘Thank you, I will.’ Peter smiled. He then took a step closer to Carl. ‘So when are we going in?’
Carl rubbed his eyes. ‘It’s not safe, Pete. I think I’ll be quicker on my own, but if you want to keep guard near the entrance I’ll split some of the goods with you.’
Peter shook his head. ‘No way. Come on, man, you’ve found the gold at the end of the rainbow and all I can do is watch it glisten? No can do, compadre, let me in please. I’ll be careful, I promise, and with me there you can carry twice as much. Carrying twice as much also means going half as much, so it works out best all round, don’t you agree?’
‘No, actually I don’t agree,’ Carl said. ‘Taking you means I’ve got twice as much to worry about. But I guess now that I’ve told you how I get in you’re not going to rest until you see it, are you?’
Peter smiled while coughing up more dust. ‘I need to get some more fruit but I really need some batteries and some gas mask filters. Do you think anyone else knows how to get in?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ Carl shrugged. ‘No saying that’s the only way in either. I’ve got a couple of contacts for contraband and it must all be coming from the same place one way or the other.’
Rose started wheezing. ‘You two boys carry on, don’t mind me. I need to lie down for a bit,’ she said.
‘Are you OK, Mum?’ Carl said, holding his hand out.
‘Just a bit of a sugar rush from the fruit. I’m not used to it. It’s making me a little light-headed plus this dust storm is getting on my chest,’ she said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
‘OK, Mum, just rest please. You need to get used to that fruit as there is plenty more where that came from.’
She looked up. ‘I hope you aren’t getting yourself into another pickle, Carl. My ticker can’t stand any more trouble or visits from the authorities. Can’t you just help out down at the market and earn some rations? You’re all I’ve got and I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
‘It’s OK, Mum, I promise, and I’m not doing anything illegal. I’m just helping the Cloud people with their garbage problem. It’s not stealing if they’ve already thrown it out.’
Rose lay down on the bed. ‘So you say, but try telling that to the next Black Hat search team that kicks the door down.’
Carl took a small rag and dipped it into a nearby bowl of cool water. He wiped it gently across his mum’s forehead and dabbed her cheeks with it. He then stroked her thin, brittle hair as she drifted off to sleep. He placed the rag back into the bowl and walked over to Peter. ‘Are you sure this is what you want? It’s risky and not just a walk in the park. There are bodies in that pipe and Cody already lost his life. Trust me, please, stay outside and I’ll get you what you need.’
‘Nope, I’m coming with you. If you say no I’ll just make my own way in,’ Peter said.
‘Oh boy, OK,’ Carl said, shaking his head. ‘Meet me at sunset by the cathedral ruins and we’ll take it from there. Slowly and carefully, got it?’
‘Yes, boss, slowly and carefully,’ Peter said grinning.
Chapter Six
The dim grey daylight faded into blackness as the sun disappeared below the horizon for another night. The moon was a blurry disk behind the thick low-hanging smog. He was late and Carl was becoming restless.
Peter came into view, out of breath from running. ‘I’m here. Sorry for the delay.’
‘Where have you been? We can’t be hanging around here too long. The drones will be here soon and the crazies will be out later. Follow me.
’
‘There’s some crooks hanging around near my house and they’re robbing people and causing a lot of trouble, so I had to take a longer route and avoid them,’ Peter said.
‘Did they bother you?’ Carl asked.
‘I didn’t give them a chance. Ran straight past them and didn’t stop running until I got here.’
‘That’s the right thing to do, you never know what they’re carrying,’ Carl said.
‘If I can get myself one of them pistols I’ll be more able to defend myself,’ Peter said.
‘No way, Pete, you’d be hopeless with a gun and you’d just end up shooting yourself in the foot, or worse, shooting me.’
Carl walked as quick as his oxygen-starved lungs would allow him to and Peter tried to keep up. They both stopped on a corner, bending over to spit blood out and to try to clear their lungs. The air was still and the area they were in was fairly quiet.
Carl grabbed Peter by the arm. ‘Quickly, hide, follow me.’
They both ran behind a pile of rubble, ducking for cover. The sentry drone sped past scanning the area with its lights.
‘Wait, another,’ Carl said.
A second drone slowed down, near to the pile of rubble. It hovered about head height and lit the area up with its search beams. It beeped and whistled as it transmitted a report back to base.
Peter coughed and Carl looked at him in horror as the drone rushed to their position. Carl quickly reached into his bag and pulled out a gun, a spare one he’d been hiding at home. He stood up, closed one eye and levelled his arm then pulled the trigger. The weapon clicked but didn’t fire. A lack of maintenance and the dusty surroundings had rendered the weapon useless. The drone froze for a second, trying to comprehend the situation before it opened its weapons hatch and extended its machine gun. Peter screamed, picked up a large rock and ran at the mechanical sentry smashing the boulder into the lens on the front of the drone. It let out a short burst of machine gun fire as Carl threw himself onto the floor, his heart pounding as his fight or flight hormones kicked in.
The machine turned to face Peter. He froze on the spot expecting to be cut down any second. Carl stood up and ran, hurling himself at the drone and grabbing its gun barrel. Peter picked up the boulder again and smashed it into its metal side. The drone’s flight controls were now damaged and it hit the floor with a loud metallic thud. Peter continued to smash the drone with the boulder while Carl kicked and stamped on it.
Carl stepped back and held up one hand. ‘OK, enough, we’ve disabled it.’
Peter continued to smash the machine. Each time the rock came crashing down more wires and circuit boards were exposed as the drone split open.
Carl grabbed Peter’s arm stopping him in mid flow. Peter looked at him wide-eyed and ready to fight.
‘Enough, please. Help me hide it behind the rubble and we’ll collect it later, OK?’ Carl said.
Peter nodded and they both grabbed the heavy drone and dragged it behind a pile of concrete blocks.
Carl looked towards the city. ‘Let’s go, quick. The gunfire will probably bring more of them and we can’t beat them all.’
They both started to run slowly, hugging the ruins at the edge of the street.
‘Where did you get the gun?’ Peter asked between breaths.
‘I’ve kept it hidden at home for ages but never checked it. I just assumed it would work.’
‘I don’t think that pea-shooter would have damaged it anyway. I’m sure they have some kind of armour plating.’
Carl stopped near the corner. ‘Well, that big rock killed it so they aren’t that well protected. I can’t run and talk. Let’s walk the rest of the way. It’s just over there.’
They reached the entrance to the pipe and Carl undid the six screws, looking left and right to see if any sentries were heading their way. If they were caught here in the open without the hatch being open they would be as dead as Cody.
The last screw was removed and the hatch swung open. ‘OK, we’re in, follow me and don’t lag behind,’ Carl said.
They clambered through the long stretch of pipe and towards the first juncture. Carl stopped and peered around both corners to see if it was all clear; it was so they carried on. The dead body had been removed; probably one of the maintenance drones picked it up and placed it with all the other garbage for sorting. The rush of air signalled that they weren’t far away now as they approached the metal grill. Carl kicked it out and they both clambered through.
‘Don’t stop. Let’s keep going. Not too far now,’ Carl said.
They continued down the dimly lit pipe, stopping every now and again to look behind and make sure they hadn’t been spotted. After some time they came to the end and the immense cavern of waste.
Peter peered over the edge. ‘Oh my God, I’ve never seen anything like it.’
Carl looked down too. ‘Impressive, isn’t it? So much good stuff going to waste, while we’re all starving to death. A real monument to human stupidity. Oh by the way, don’t fall in.’
Carl went first and clambered down the steel ladder while Peter followed behind until they found themselves level with the top of the garbage mountain.
‘If I could carry it all I’d take it all back,’ Peter said.
‘And hide it where? Under your bed, muttonhead?’
‘No, numbskull, I’d sell it and maybe make enough to get me a nice apartment in the clouds,’ Peter said.
‘Oh and like they’d have you. They love accommodating Wretches who bring dirt and disease into their city, I’m sure.’ Carl laughed.
‘Look out, Carl, hide!’ Peter said ducking down as a drone flew past.
Carl stayed standing. ‘It’s OK, Pete, don’t worry. They’re refuse drones and their only job seems to be sifting through all this stuff. The ones in the pipes are sentries but these seem to ignore me each time I come. Let’s grab what we can and get out of here.’
Peter removed his shoulder bag and started pulling at the pile. ‘This stuff looks like it’s never been opened. Why do they throw so much stuff away?’
Carl started filling his bag with fruit and tea. ‘Because they have too much and because they are selfish, evil and greedy. They don’t care if we live or die, so it’s up to us to use our noggins and survive any way we can.’
‘Bingo!’ Peter said as he pulled out a pack of gas mask filters from beneath a pile of boxes. ‘These will get me some good trades.’
‘OK, that’s enough, let’s go.’
Peter continued to search through the pile. ‘Are you kidding? There’s too much stuff here to leave.’
Carl grabbed his shoulder. ‘Seriously, Pete, let’s go. We’re going to struggle to carry all this as it is and we’ve still got to get up this ladder, through the pipe and home without being spotted.’
Peter slung the bag over his shoulder. ‘OK, boss, but we’re coming back here tomorrow, right?’
Carl held up a hand. ‘We just take a little but often, OK? If we get greedy and start overdoing it we’ll end up like Cody and all the fruit and batteries in the world won’t help you if you end up as drone target practice. I’m meeting a contact soon who can help us shift this stuff. If we can get him on board we’ll be coming here much more often.’
‘OK,’ Peter said, starting to climb the ladder. ‘But we might need to bring more people with us. If you want to set up some kind of production line for contraband we need more help.’
‘OK, but please don’t mention it to anyone else unless we both agree. We can’t afford for every Wretch in the city to descend on this place.’
Chapter Seven
The Wretched Hive drink stop and meeting place stood at a crossroads between the old cathedral ruins and the perimeter fence. It was an illegal establishment tucked into the ruins of a long-disused building. Large corrugated sheets protected those inside from the harsh sun and the acid rain storms, while the inside was made out as comfortable as possible. The dimly lit interior was welcoming with the seating are
as made from wood scraps and separated into benches or booths for those needing more privacy. A pale gin-type drink called Grog was the only one on offer and its taste and strength changed depending upon the available ingredients. Whatever the taste it was always strong and guaranteed to make you forget about your hunger after a few glasses.
On the walls hung various interesting items and oddities collected over the years by Nancy the owner, including basketwork, hats and musical instruments. All worth a pretty penny on the black market and therefore nailed to the walls to stop opportunist thieves.
Nancy was in her early thirties but her craggy face and thin dark hair, which she always fixed up in a bun, made her look much older. Long days serving drinks and long nights distilling illegal alcohol had taken its toll.
The Cloud people could easily spot these types of illegal bars with their drone patrols, although they tended to turn a blind eye. It kept many out of trouble, and while Wretches were busy chatting and drinking they weren’t rioting or trying to breach the perimeter.
Carl sat down and Peter sat opposite. ‘I don’t know how you drink that stuff,’ Peter said.
Carl sipped his Grog. ‘It’s an acquired taste. You should try it.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Peter said, shaking his head. ‘It tastes just as bad as anything I’ve ever tasted and I just can’t see the point of stripping the lining from your throat, feeling dizzy and spending the next day with a headache.’
‘Well, I can see your point, but it’s a man’s drink and not for little boys like yourself,’ he said, taking another sip.
‘Go boil your head,’ Peter replied, looking around. ‘What are we here for anyway?’
Carl pushed the drink to one side. ‘I told you we’re meeting someone who wants to trade. They got stuff I need and I got stuff they need. I need you here to watch my back as I don’t trust him.’
Beyond the Crystal City Page 3