by Grant Price
Wyler nodded. Cassady let out a moan of disbelief which was quickly drowned out by a bark of laughter from Hearst. ‘Knew it. Never seen teeth like yours.’
The wild man’s eyes found hers. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘Figured it didn’t matter either way.’
Ghazi’s hand fell to his side. He felt no rage, no confusion, no aggression, only a jagged blackness that threatened to cut his faith to ribbons. ‘So we had you pegged right from the start?’
‘I’m sorry, brother.’
‘But we talked ourselves out of it.’
‘Not me,’ said Hearst. Somehow she was pleased with the situation.
Cassady recovered enough to sputter a question. ‘You work for the Koalition?’
‘I did. Now I don’t.’
‘Do they know we’re here?’
‘No.’
‘How can you be sure?’
Wyler smoothed his beard against his chest and rested his palms against the crate. ‘It’ll take a while to explain. If you’ll give me the chance. But I mean what I say. There ain’t any danger to any of you right now.’
After the attack by the Zuisudra, none of the Runners had any stomach for further violence. Instead, a great emptiness filled the space. Ghazi walked to the back of the cargo bed, sat on the floor and stared hard at a twisting scratch along the metal frame. The others leaned against walls and stuffed their hands into their pockets, unsure of how to act.
‘Okay. Let’s hear it,’ said Victor finally.
‘They call me a sleeper. The Koalition has a network of spies outside the state that it uses to collect information and keep eyes on threats. They’ve got them all the way up to the lagoons in the north, and I know they’ve got a few agents still working in the deserts to the south. They plant us in settlements or set us up to be self-sufficient, like me and my farm, and they leave us to live our lives. You don’t hear from them from one year to the next. You got something to report, you record it and you take it to a drop-off point. That’s it.
‘A few weeks ago everything changed. A couple of the Koalition’s top intelligence guys paid me a personal visit. They’d never done that before. They told me they’d picked up a couple of intruders in Novus who had spilled their guts about a machine.’
Tagawa raised his head. ‘Novus is the name of the state?’
‘Right. They made me go to Prestige and listen out for news about medical supplies being taken south. If I got lucky, I was supposed to follow the carriers. Those boys were agitated. I could tell the news of the machine had shaken them. But it wasn’t my concern. Not anymore. And I told them so. I hadn’t been back to Novus in ten years and I was happy where I was. I had my girls to look after. I couldn’t just uproot and go north because some uniform in a room told me to.
‘The Koalition didn’t accept my – what do you call it – my resignation. When I was out finding supplies, the bikers came.’ A heavy gaze found Cassady. ‘I wasn’t totally honest with you, brother. They only murdered two of the girls. They took the other three. After that those bastards from intelligence returned and told me if I didn’t do my job, they would carve up the girls and do the same to me. I don’t know if they’re still alive. I reckon they ain’t. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m through.’
Another silence filled the space as the Runners processed the information.
‘Tell us about the Koalition,’ said Tagawa. He was less rattled than the others.
‘I ain’t got all the details. There’s a lot of secrecy. Chain of command is long enough to tie you up in knots. What I know is the corporations ran Novus during the Change, and after a time they merged to form the Koalition. It has absolute power, keeps life going in the state, minimises the effects of the Change. They ain’t got to deal with starvation or nomadics or the heat like out here. There are five cities and everybody lives in them except the synth-farmers, a few geo-engineers and the military. The rest of the land is deserted. Makes it easier to control, you know. The cities have electricity, sanitation, medicine, education, hospitals, food and water rations. Even art, after a fashion. And on all sides the state is protected by walls. Physical and not so physical. Much of the population works in factories. They build and fix the turbines, the machines, the pipelines and the other connective tissue that keep Novus ticking over, and in return they get just enough food and water to make it through another week. All the Koalition cares about is climate engineering, the military and total control.’
‘How did their men know to send you to Prestige?’
‘They didn’t. It was a guess. Lupo had to get to a supplier who had the reach to secure the medicine, right? The Koalition knows about all the big-time dealers. Faustine, too. They’ve done business with her a few times.’
At that, Ghazi looked up. The others were as surprised as he was.
‘Son of a bitch,’ spat Victor.
Cassady rubbed his temples. ‘Christ. So she’s in on this as well?’
‘I don’t reckon so. They were worried about her. Knew she would probably try to help Lupo if he got in contact with her. That night in the bar in Prestige, one of her guards came in. It was late, after you and Ghazi had left. It only took a couple of drinks to loosen his tongue. He told me about you being sent to the camp to join a convoy. After that it was easy. I waited on a road I knew you’d have to take and I tailed you.’
Ghazi couldn’t remain silent any longer. ‘You said Novus has food, water, medicine, education, things like that.’
Wyler shifted his weight until he was facing him. ‘Yeah.’
‘So why leave in the first place?’
‘Brother, you’ve got to understand that life in the state ain’t exactly sunshine. Your world might be hard and full of misery, but at least you control your fate. The Koalition uses anything and everything to make sure Novus stays under its control. Executions, labour camps, propaganda, you name it. Sometimes they infect the food supply and withhold medicine just to cut down the population if the numbers are getting out of control. Anybody who speaks out is murdered. A long time ago, before I left, I was one of the clean-up guys who made people disappear. I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice. If you don’t do exactly as they say, you disappear, too.
‘But their grip is slipping. I hear things from time to time. Rebellions, protests, rumblings about a resistance. All the people want is to live free. At some point those bastards just ain’t gonna have enough brainwashed devotees anymore to keep their system alive. And it wasn’t until Kaja died that I truly realised it. I didn’t have to stand with them any longer. I could stand with you instead.’
Wyler struggled with further words that refused to emerge. Questions and snapshots and information drifted through Ghazi’s head and he fought to understand it. He’d made the wrong call. He’d trusted the man when the others had wanted him to leave, and this was the result. But Wyler wasn’t evil. He could see that. Every one of them could. The wild man had made the wrong call, too. The world was brutish and solitary and poor, and they were all casualties of it.
A blunt voice rang out in the confined space.
‘Why Renfield?’
Ghazi jerked his head around. Brandt had regained consciousness. He raised himself to a sitting position. The German looked older than ever, colourless and bandaged, leaning to one side as though half of his body was made of lead.
Wyler turned to face him.
Brandt’s tone was measured. ‘Answer me.’
The agent’s cloudy eyes became clear. ‘I was desperate. I didn’t know the man, and I thought only of my girls. It was easier to join the convoy than follow it. He was my way in. I’m sorry. I wish I had a better explanation, but I don’t.’
With a grunt, Brandt struggled to his feet. His bulk filled the space and he swayed on his feet. A gnarled hand found something to grab hold of and he steadied himself.
Cassady stepped forward, placing his body between Brandt and Wyler.
‘Don’t do it.’
‘Don’t kill him.’
Brandt’s jaw went slack. He gazed beyond him to Wyler. ‘Do you remember what Katarina said? There is too much violence in this life already. I won’t add to it. But I don’t want to be in here right now. So stand aside.’
Cassady waited a few beats, but did as he was asked. Brandt shuffled along the length of the cargo bed, using the wall to support him. He brushed past Wyler without another word.
‘Help me,’ he said to Ghazi, who opened the door and held Brandt’s arm steady as he climbed out. The door clanged shut behind him.
Resignation hung thickly inside the truck. Ghazi surveyed the others. Even Hearst showed no desire to be rid of the man standing in the middle of the bed. And Wyler could sense it.
Victor rubbed his scalp. ‘So what do we do now, boss?’
Cassady’s fingers flipped open the pouch on his utility belt, but closed it again. He moved to the crate where the map lay. ‘Are you with us?’ he asked Wyler.
‘Yes. I am. We get these supplies through and it might make up for some of the stuff I’ve done.’
‘Then show us where to go.’
He spent a minute staring at the map before pointing at one of the crude markings. ‘Here. This is where we need to go. There’s part of the wall that isn’t the same as the rest. Looks like the real deal, but it’s a gate. The trail behind it will take us into the mountains.’
‘Is it guarded?’ asked Cassady.
‘The gate? No. Like I said, they ain’t got enough bodies to watch everything anymore. Besides, it’s supposed to look low key. Guards would draw attention.’
‘Is the road mined?’
‘No. At least I don’t think so.’
‘That’s reassuring,’ murmured Tagawa.
Ghazi approached the crate. ‘What about the trail? Are we likely to encounter trouble once we get inside?’
‘It depends on troop movements. And if you’re spotted. They rely on a whole lot of drones to keep the state under its paranoid control.’
How far will the trail take us?’
‘If we link up with the scientist’s supply road, it’ll take us all the way, more or less.’
‘And at the southern border?’
‘That’s something we’ll have to find out together. I’ve never seen it.’
Cassady took it all in, reading the lines on the map while he chewed at his bottom lip. He lifted his head until he was eye to eye with Wyler. ‘How can we trust anything you say?’ he said quietly.
‘Look. I’m being straight with you. Here are the facts: I saved Brandt’s life back there. I came to your aid. I did what I could for Kaja.’ His shoulders slumped, as though the effort of recalling the image of Katarina was too much for him.
Hearst made to speak, but hesitated.
‘If you can’t trust me now,’ continued Wyler, ‘then you’d better end it. Because I ain’t got anything else to keep me going anymore.’
His cloudy grey eyes were serene, his beard matted with dust and sweat. The great chest muscles relaxed under his shirt. His sense of calm affected them all, and in that moment Ghazi forgave him. The darkness lifted.
Hearst clicked her tongue and the Runners turned to her.
‘Right about Katarina. Made her comfortable, did what he could. Made a mistake. Now has to live with it.’
Victor’s mouth fell open. Ghazi did his best to hide a smile.
‘Thank you, sister,’ said Wyler.
Cassady looked around the truck bed. ‘Okay. This is what’s going to happen. Wyler, you ride with Victor for now. Tagawa, you’re with Brandt. Does that work for you two?’
‘If he stays with us,’ said Tagawa. ‘He’s been through hell already.’
‘He will. Everybody get some rest. I’ll take the first watch. We leave at dawn. Once we start the climb, we’re not stopping until we see the desert. Understand?’
The meeting was over. Cassady folded up the map and slipped it into a pocket. Ghazi opened Telamonian’s rear door.
‘I’m going after Brandt,’ he called. ‘I’ll be back.’
He jumped out before Cassady or any of the others could respond. He stepped over the warm earth and slipped between Orion and the Silkworm onto the gravel track that coiled upward through the rocky landscape. A gust of wind rattled the tree branches and froze the sweat on the back of his neck. The first drops of night were beginning to dilute the sky.
Brandt wasn’t far away. He sat on a flat rock further up the track, at the point where it disappeared around a tight bend. Ghazi approached with caution, not wishing to interrupt the man’s thoughts. His ears pricked at a faint boom from somewhere in the distance. Trouble on the road, maybe. The air became still. Brandt glanced over his shoulder at the sound of footsteps. Ghazi took his lack of response as a sign to join him.
‘I keep going over it,’ Brandt murmured. The bandage was bright in the dusk. ‘He saved my life, but Renfield died because of him.’
‘There’s no easy answer.’
‘Out here, our wits are all we have. Mine are blunt and rusted. I let my guard down too easily. Wouldn’t have happened in the past.’
‘You saw somebody you thought you could rely on. We all did.’
‘You can’t rely on anyone. Not in this world. Everybody is too concerned with looking out for themselves. The whole thing stinks. Victor had it right.’
‘About what?’
‘Using up my lives on the road. I can’t count the number of times I’ve cheated death. Like this,’ he said, pointing to the side of his head. ‘I owe a debt for each one.’
‘What are you saying?’
‘Nothing. I don’t know. Maybe it’s better to go out on my own terms.’
‘Don’t talk like that. Wyler made a terrible mistake and he’ll pay for it. Of that I’m certain. But it doesn’t mean you should beat yourself up about it, too.’
‘I should be in the ground. Katarina, Renfield, all the other shadows I’ve buried. When will it finally be my turn?’
‘You don’t have to keep running. Quit if that’s what you have to do. Quit and find peace while you still can.’
Brandt shook his head. ‘There’s no such thing.’
Ghazi felt the blood beginning to burn in his veins. ‘You need to get your head together.’ Brandt looked up. ‘You allowed a man to deceive you. Yes. But he deceived all of us. That’s no reason to fall off the edge. And you have no right to talk about death in this way. There is no ‘should’; there are no debts. Death is something we’ll never understand. This,’ he said, spreading his arm out, ‘is all we have. Every single day. It’s something to work with, not against. You’ll die one day, but as for right now you’re among friends. And we need you.’
He looked back down the trail. Nobody else had followed them.
‘I don’t know if you can forgive Wyler, not yet, but he’s trying to do what he can to make things a little better. Like all of us.’ He laid a hand on the old man’s forearm. ‘Now come back to the camp. Rest for a few hours more.’
Brandt remained motionless, looking past Ghazi at a mass of dark foliage. Then he rose. Ghazi offered his arm, and he leaned on him for support. The old German spoke only once more as they trudged back to the laager.
‘Into the brood of vipers, then. The sentence of hell is upon us.’
13
The wall was three times as high as Telamonian and at least as wide. Humans and the elements had both launched waves of attacks against it, but it was still taut and dangerous as it followed the contours of the hills and mountains, jutting out from slopes that were already difficult to scale. Razor wire swirled over the wall’s battlements, and rusting spikes pointed towards the earth and the sky. Pillboxes, perched like growths, offered sweeping views of the surroundings. In the no-man’s land in front of the wall, old mines and other explosive devices waited patiently under the soil or else had risen to the top and protruded through the crus
t. The heat haze blurred the land.
The convoy sat a few hundred metres away, hidden from view by an outcrop of rock. Stone embankments hemmed them in on both sides. Following Wyler’s instructions, the Runners had taken the paved road before turning onto a gravel trail and then a barely visible mud track. They had climbed higher into the mountainous landscape, remaining alert all the way. Then it was there, in the distance: the wall that hid a pre-Change world from their post-Change reality.
A dark, colossal form stepped out of the Silkworm and headed over to Warspite. Wyler grabbed the handrail and hauled himself onto the top step of the cab.
‘This is it, brother. Let’s go.’
‘Yeah,’ said Cassady.
Ghazi leaned over and pinned the wild man with his gaze. ‘Don’t come back without him.’
‘I won’t.’ He dropped to the ground again.
Cassady removed his hat and uncoupled his harness. Blood pumped in his chest and head.
Ghazi slid his pistol out of its holster and handed it to him. ‘Success, dostem.’ There were deep lines around his mouth.
Cassady stuffed the squat lump of metal into his waistband. ‘If I’m not back in ten minutes, turn her around and don’t stop until the batteries are dead.’
‘You know I won’t.’
‘Please.’
His boots hit the mud. He and Wyler marched shoulder to shoulder, passed the Silkworm and rounded the outcrop of rock. The wall loomed at the end of the near-invisible mud track. The larger man tucked his chest-length beard into his shirt. He did not sweat.
The wall inched ever higher as they approached. The concrete was pitted and pale and the coping stones were crumbling. There was no movement anywhere along the battlements. The pillboxes on top of the wall watched them through notched eyes.
‘You’re sure there’s nobody in those boxes.’
‘Can’t be sure about anything in life. But they look dead to me.’
Cassady tried to swallow, but his throat was pinched tight. Neither the pistol nor the machete hanging from his side gave him any confidence. He expected to be plugged by a bullet at any moment. A voice inside his head urged him to run. Clear out, forget the whole business. But he continued to put one foot in front of the other, stepping on ground strewn with plastic, metal, stones and branches. They sped up, covering the last few metres at a run, and stopped only when they reached the wall’s shadow. Cassady rested his hands on his hips and peered at the structure that towered over him. Something was off. He raised his hand and placed his palm flat against the wall.