Chapter 29

Portsmouth. June.

Robbie parked outside the corner shop. It was early evening, and still roasting hot. He was on his way home and needed a pint of milk for breakfast. As he opened the car door, he saw three men about ten yards away, strolling in his general direction. He took no particular notice of them, but as he closed the car door one of them spoke and there was both astonishment and pleasure in the voice.

“Well fuck me. Look ‘oo it ain’t. Oy, gramps. Five year I’ve been lookin’ for you. I seem to remember I owe you a kickin’.”

Robbie looked up to see the three men ranged around him, grinning. It took him a few seconds to recognise the ‘spotty faced oik’ he and Jack had overcome five and a half years earlier. “I see you haven’t improved,” said Robbie genially, noting as he did the Safety Patrol uniforms the three were wearing. “Only a lance corporal I see.”

“What? I’m a Section Leader.”

“Yes. I know. And in the real world that would be called a lance-corporal, below you is only trooper. In the cesspit you can’t get lower than that. By the way, I have your balls here if you want them back, I’ve had them for nearly six years now. That is, if you can get them back.” Keeping a very close eye on what the three were doing, he reached onto the other seat and picked up one of his small cross bows, which he kept permanently to hand. Transferring it to his right hand, he reached for the other. Standing quickly up as the three were now rapidly approaching him, he pointed the two crossbows at the men. “Stop!”

“Huh?” one grunted, but the three did stop.

“You know this guy Terry?” asked the youngest.

Terry ignored him. “What’s that you got there gramps? Looks dangerous. Maybe you shouldn’t be playing with things that might hurt you.”

“Oh this will hurt all right. But it’s you it will hurt if you don’t stop and back off.”

“Yeah, right!” exclaimed the youngest again. “Doesn’t look like any type of gun I know of.”

Robbie glanced at him. “I take it you’re as stupid as your friend there. Terry did you call him?”

“Yeah. He’s Terry, I’m Zazzer and this is...”

“Shut up Zazzer,” the as yet unnamed, eldest, man said angrily. By his uniform markings he was a junior squad leader, equivalent to a corporal. “That’s a crossbow you knob. It’ll kill.”

“At least there’s one of you with a brain cell,” Robbie spoke softly. “I recommend you back off and leave me alone.” The two crossbows were pointing at Terry and Zazzer, but he was looking at the senior man.

“There’s three of us, but only two crossbow thingies,” said Terry, “and I bet you can’t reload them before we can get to you to give you that good kicking I owe you.”

“No, true,” acknowledged Robbie. “But two of you will be dead, so I’ll only have to kill one of you with my bare hands.”

All three grinned at his statement, though Robbie noticed that Zazzer’s grin was a little uncertain. “Ha ha funny man,” jeered Terry, “I saw you movin’ the last time remember. You can’t move that fast, and you’re even older now.”

“True, but don’t forget I beat you last time.”

“Not on your own you didn’t. It took two of you.”

Robbie risked a quick glance at him. Terry was definitely dangerous, but his senses told him the unnamed man, the senior of the three, was far and away the more dangerous. “Both of us unarmed and in our late seventies. How old are you? Thirty?”

“Twenty nine...”

“Shut up Terry, he’s just goading you. Zazzer, you move that way a bit. Terry you go that way. He’s got the car behind him, he can’t go anywhere.” The senior Patroller obviously had a bit of nous, and Robbie was a bit surprised that he had such a low rank. Maybe he was still fairly new. Or had been demoted for some minor infraction.

Terry moved to his right, Robbie’s left, while Zazzer moved the other way. It was harder now for Robbie to keep good watch on all three, and he was more than a little uncomfortable, knowing the danger he was in. “I can still get two of you before the third gets to me.”

“Can you? Are you sure of that?”

Robbie saw the tensing of the muscles as the man prepared himself to charge. Instantly Robbie swung his right arm from where it was pointing at Zazzer, and shot him. The combined movement of his arm and of the man he was firing at, caused his aim to be slightly high and to one side of where he’d intended, and the arrow went straight through the throat instead of the shoulder. His target fell to the ground with a gurgle, blood gushing from his throat and mouth.

“You shot him,” said Zazzer in shock.

“Then I suggest you try and stop the bleeding before he bleeds to death,” Robbie told him severely, his eyes turning to Terry.

Terry’s fists tightened and his face got ugly. “I’m gonna kill you.”

Robbie dropped the used crossbow and quickly swapped the other from his left to his right hand. “You couldn’t last time. What makes you think you can this time?”

“You just got lucky. You can’t get lucky twice.”

Robbie raised his aim so that the arrow was pointing straight at Terry’s eye. “Want to take that risk?”

Again Robbie saw the signs of muscles tensing before violent movement, and fired. Where the first time he had been aiming just to injure, this time he had been aiming to kill. This time his aim was true and the arrow went through the side of Terry’s face and into the back of the mouth. Terry fell to the ground, not moving, the force of the bow having driven the solid steel point deep into his brain-stem, killing him instantly.

“I can’t stop the blood,” cried Zazzer. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Back,” ordered Robbie. “Lemme see.”

Zazzer backed away slowly, shock in his face, allowing Robbie to look. The man on the ground was obviously still alive and conscious as his hands were desperately trying to stem the flow of blood, but his movements were getting slower and weaker. It took Robbie only moments before he looked up at Zazzer. “He’s lost too much blood. He needs a blood transfusion right now if he’s to live, but since we’re too far from a hospital for us to take him, and you people burned down the local ambulance station last year, there’s no way he’s gonna get one in time. He’s dead. Or will be in a couple of minutes.” There were now signs of terror on the dying man’s face as he stared at Robbie. Robbie looked up. He’d seen death before, he didn’t need to see it again.

Zazzer now saw Terry. “Shit. Terry?”

“Terry’s also dead. Now, are you gonna die as well, or are you gonna leave here now?”

Zazzer just continued to stare in complete shock at his two friends.

“Zazzer!” Snapped Robbie.

Zazzer turned to look at him, his mouth open and his face pale. Now that he had a chance to have a proper look at him, Robbie realised Zazzer was younger than he had originally assumed. A lot younger.

Robbie’s voice turned soft. “How old are you son?”

“Fif ... fif ... fifteen.”

“When are you sixteen?”

“Oc ... October.”

“What’s your name? Your real name?”

There was a pause, then he gulped and spoke. “Zack,” he muttered, fearfully. “Zachary.”

“And where do you live Zack?”

“I was kicked out by my step dad years ago. I been livin’ on the streets until they took me in. Oh god,” Zack burst into tears. “What am I gonna do? They’ll kill me for sure.”

“Who will?”

“The Patrol,” sobbed Zack. “You don’t know what they’re like.”

“Actually I think I do. You were unlucky to have fallen in with them, but lucky it was me you came up against. Let’s get this place tidied up before the patrol gets here, and I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

“Where? How?”

“Never mind that for now. Let’s get these vermin off the street.” Robbie opened the tail gate of his car. “Help me get them in here.”

They had just closed the tail-gate again when they heard sirens in the distance. Whether they had been spotted or not, and whether the sirens were anything to do with him, Robbie didn’t know. But just in case, he wanted to be away quickly.

“Quick, get in,” Robbie pointed at the passenger door. Just seconds later, without waiting for seat belts, Robbie pulled the car away from the curb and hurtled down the road. “Seat belt,” snapped Robbie at Zack.

Zack just nodded and fumbled with his belt, while Robbie wrestled the old car around a corner, and out of sight of the shop and the scene of the fight.

Slowing down slightly, Robbie pulled his own seat belt on, but otherwise just concentrated on the road, both front and back. Zack huddled into the corner against the door, fearful of what this strange old man might do, but far more afraid of what the Patrol would do if it caught him.

There was no sign of any chase, so Robbie slowed to a more natural pace, and drove sedately to his friend Jack’s yard. He pulled up right in front of the large side door to the warehouse, giving two quick hoots on his horn, as he got out. “Come on, we need to get the bodies out of the car.”

By the time Jack came out, Robbie had pulled out the two bodies, plus most of the rest of the contents of his boot. “Need to get rid of anything with blood on it,” Robbie told Zack.

Jack just stared in shock. “What the hell?”

“Just open the fuckin’ doors man. Need to get rid of some dead vermin in a hurry.”

Jack nodded and hurried back inside to open up the warehouse. A few moments later, with a rattle, the doors slowly rolled upwards.

“Recognise him?” Robbie asked Jack, pointing at Terry.

Jack looked, frowning, and slowly shaking his head.

“Imagine him trussed up with his shoe laces and belt.”

Jack looked closer. “Oh my good grief,” he exclaimed after a few moments. He grinned at Robbie. “Looks like them crossbows came in useful.” The bolt was still protruding from Terry’s face.

“Yeah. Thank god!”

“But what,” Jack paused. “Later. Get them inside.” He grabbed Terry’s hand and arm, and with an ease that astonished Zack, lifted him onto his shoulder. Zack was even more astonished when Robbie did exactly the same thing with the unnamed man.

“Son, what’s this bloke’s name?” Robbie asked Zack as he and Jack almost ran inside.

“Er. He’s known as Worry, but I think his name’s really Kev. Er. How are you doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“Carrying them men like they weighed nowt.”

Robbie grinned. “Would you believe weight training?”

Zack could see he was being teased, but didn’t understand. He just nodded, confused. “What you gonna do with them?”

“You’ll see.”

Zack did see, and stood, his mouth open and staring in shock as the two corpses, were loaded one after the other into a strange machine. Nearly twenty minutes later the corpses had been digested. “What the hell is that?” he breathed in shock.

Jack looked at him and frowned.

“Later,” said Robbie. “Let’s get the rest of the stuff in. Might need to get my car sorted out as well. The bodies were in the boot and I’ve no idea what mess I may have left behind.”

“I’ve got a spare landy you can have for a couple of days if you need it,” Jack told him.

Robbie just nodded and went out for the next pile of stuff. A little under half an hour later, Robbie had rung his wife to tell her his car had been in a minor accident and that he was stuck in Portsmouth and would be late to dinner. The three retired to Jack’s office. Robbie’s car was now inside the warehouse with all the doors shut and locked.

“Right,” ordered Jack. “Give. What happened and who’s this?”

It took Robbie only two minutes to tell Jack what had happened, and to explain who Zack was. Jack loaned Zack a donkey jacket to hide the Safety Patrol uniform which he now shrank down into, afraid of what these two strange old men might do to him. They looked to be in their eighties maybe, but they were very obviously far stronger and fitter than anyone of that age ought to be. Zack was more than a little scared.

“Okay Zack,” Robbie’s voice was calm and relaxed. “Tell us your story. Go back. Right back. Even before your dad kicked you out.”

Zack was silent for a long moment, watching while Jack made the three of them big mugs of hot tea. When he had his, he began. His story was halting and a bit disjointed at first, but he soon settled into a steady rhythm.

“I never knew my da, my real da,” he told them. “He was killed on the motorway. My ma were still pregnant with me at the time. I was five when she remarried. I sort of remember the wedding. I reckon that was the last time she were truly happy.” Zack went quiet for a moment as he remembered.

“She met this guy at work,” he eventually said. “He was nice at first, but soon after they got married he started to turn nasty. He was a bit of a bully and a control freak. Then he lost his job and blamed it on my ma. He got another job, but it weren’t as good, and that just made him angrier. Then Ma died. I were nine an’ a half. Cancer she had. My step da hated me after that. Hardly fed me. I didn’t always go to school, and when I were near eleven he said I’d stolen sommat and to get out.”

“What did he say you’d stolen?” asked Jack gently.

Zack shook his head. “I don’t know. He kept saying I’d stolen ‘it’ and where was ‘it’, and what had I done with ‘it’. It, it, it! He never said what. Just kept saying ‘it’.” Zack’s voice was trembling as the emotion welled up inside him again. “Oh god. What’s gonna happen to me?”

“We’ll sort something out,” Robbie told him softly. “Go on with your story.”

“Um.” Zack took a deep, shaky, breath. “After I got kicked out, I sort of just slept in the park for a few days. It were summer so it weren’t too cold. Except when it rained. But I found a bit of shelter. This woman looked after me for a bit as well. She were homeless as well. She helped me to find food, but I had to give her half of everything I found. About two year later she died. Pneumonia they said. Turned out when she died she were only thirty hersel’. Then I were on me own again, but I sort of knew how to look after mesel’ b’ then. I heard it were warmer down here than where I’m from, so I walked down here. Headed down A19 to Stockton, then towards York and Leeds. Walked down A1 most a time. Took me four and a half months. I were lucky it weren’t winter.”

“Mmm. There’s a hint of the north east in your voice,” Jack said. “Where are you from?”

“Just outside Sunderland. Place called Seaham”.

“And you walked all the way to the south coast?” asked Robbie astonished. “That must be three hundred miles. I’m impressed.”

Zack smiled a little, pleased at the men’s obvious praise. “A couple a year ago I were lookin’ in this bin, back of a bakery not far from university, when I were caught by the Safety Patrol. When they found out I were homeless, they took me in and fed me and said I could join them. I bin wiv ‘em since.”

“And I guess in all that time, today is the first time you’ve seen trouble?” Asked Robbie.

“Almost. They wouldn’t let me go out for ages. Made me stay in and clean up inside. It weren’t very nice, but it were easy enough an’ it were warm, an’ I got a real bed and okay food. An’ they never did anythin’ to me, except mebbe make fun o’ me.” He paused for a moment. “They only let me out on patrol for the first time a month ago.”

“Did you go up to Catterick?” asked Jack.

Zack looked puzzled. “No.” He shook his head decisively.

“So you’re not a fully trained patroller?”

“I guess not. Not really.”

“Okay.”

“So where you bumped into me, is that a regular patrol route?”

Zack shook his head. “The shop keeper owed Worry some money and they were going to collect. I know Terry found it funny, but I don’t know why.”

Robbie nodded, a resigned look on his face. “Protection.”

Jack nodded but said nothing.

The two men looked at each other, perplexed. “Well we can’t let you go back to them,” said Robbie after a pause. “It won’t be safe for you. And it won’t be safe for you here either. We’re gonna have to get you out and away somewhere. Dunno where yet.”

“What’s wiv that funny machine in back?” asked Zack.

“You’ve never heard of a replicator?” asked Jack, astonished.

Zack just shook his head.

“The Confederacy?”

Zack’s shake of the head was a bit uncertain this time. “Not sure. Mebbe.”

Jack and Robbie spent twenty minutes telling Zack what the Confederacy was, and everything that had happened in the last few years. Zack started off looking astonished, then scared, and by the end truly terrified.