Amerika by Brauna E. Pouns & Donald Wrye

Author:Brauna E. Pouns & Donald Wrye [Pouns, Brauna E. & Wrye, Donald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Alternative Histories (Fiction), General, Media Tie-In, Fiction
ISBN: 9780671633455
Google: OIaHvERVV08C
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 1987-02-01T07:00:00+00:00

“What’s the matter?” Clay said. “You look like j you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Up there,” Devin said. “That’s my wife. And Peter

Bradford. I knew he was being considered for some kind of big job, but with Marion?”

“Looks like they’re destined for great things,” Clay said. “Come on, let’s keep moving.”

Clay led them to-a safe house in a north-side ghetto, where a black woman named Emma fed them and gave them a floor to sleep on. The next morning, after breakfast, Clay informed Devin that they were going to a meeting.

“Where? Who with?” Devin asked.

“You’ll see.”

They walked to the Loop and Clay guided them to what remained of the John Hancock building. The windows at street level were boarded up and winos slept in the lobby. Every knob or fixture of any possible value had been stolen. The elevators no longer worked, of course, and Clay led them up the stairs. They stopped at the tenth floor to catch their breath.

“There’re lots of deserted skyscrapers now,” Clay explained. “Vertical slums. This was an insurance building, but who needs insurance when Big Brother takes care of us all?”

They started climbing again.

“How much farther?” Devin asked.

“Courage. The higher, the safer. Squatters live in the first ten floors or so. A lot of kids in the next few.” “Kids?”

“Yeah, ten or twelve years old, homeless. They beg, sell drugs, sell themselves, form gangs, and fight wars. The authorities pretty much leave them alone. Too expensive to put them in jail. Anyway, if you can make it to, oh, the twentieth floor, you’re home free. The cops are too fat to climb that far. Here we are, ladies and gentlemen, twentieth floor, cosmetics, ladies’ lingerie, and on your left, antigovemment plots. Last stop on the underground railroad.”

Clayton pushed open the door that led to what once had been a huge office complex.

“Raise your arms and move slowly,” he said.

Devin did as he was told. They moved through a maze of what had once been small offices, then encountered a black man leaning against a wall.

“Jeffrey,” Clay cried.

“Clayton, my man.”

The two embraced.

“Still twisting the news?” Clay quipped.

“Night and day.” Jeffrey grinned. “I am the Dan Rather of disinformation.” He turned to Devin and extended his hand. “Glad to meet you, man. Been an admirer—you know. Come and meet the group.” Jeffrey led them into what had once been a conference room, where highly paid actuaries had discussed mortality rates and term-insurance options. All that remained now was a magnificent view of the Chicago skyline—no one could steal that. Eight men and women awaited them, and they soon gathered around Devin, greeting him with handshakes and warm words. They greeted Clayton with affection, too, and in time they settled in a circle on the floor.

“Well, this is it, the movement in Chicago,” Jeffrey said. “Each of us represents a group, cells you might say; some are a part of the establishment, others underground. We don’t interact much, except on very special occasions, like greeting Devin Milford.” “There’s no leaders,” declared a man named Quinlan, a tough-looking fellow in workclothes.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.