Sleepwalk City by Paul Stephenson

Author:Paul Stephenson [Stephenson, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hollow Stone Press

CHAPTER TWENTY

ALL WE LOVE WE LEAVE BEHIND

It took Burnett about a minute to find Slater’s resistance fighters. Or rather, for them to find him. They must have watched as Burnett pulled up in an Army jeep and took a large silver briefcase from a soldier, because no sooner had he turned two corners than he found himself hemmed in by men with machine guns. Burnett never heard a sound.

‘Hands in the fucking air,’ a man’s voice shouted, muffled through a balaclava.

Burnett placed the briefcase down and raised his hands.

Slater hadn’t thought to arm him, other than with the ludicrous rocket launcher, so when the masked men roughly checked him over they came up empty handed.

‘What’s in the fucking case?’ the same man asked.

‘A gift,’ Burnett replied. ‘I think you’ll like it.’

‘Yeah? Who the fuck are you? Santa Claus?’

The man who liked to say fuck a lot opened the latches on the case, and looked inside.

‘Fucking hell,’ he said. He stood up. ‘I’m gonna fucking ask you again. Who the fuck are you?’

‘Burnett. I came in on a coach this morning. They pulled me out of the line. A soldier took me to go and meet the Minister. Evidently he didn’t like me much, because he ordered me killed.’

‘Why ain’t you hanging from a rope?’

‘Still haven’t quite worked that out myself,’ Burnett replied. ‘The soldier who took me. He’s not happy. Doesn’t like the Minister, or the thugs he’s got working for him. He wants to strike back against them.’

‘Pull the other one,’ the man said. ‘Bit fucking convenient, innit?’

‘I could give a fuck if you believe me,’ Burnett said. ‘If you don’t, I’ll happily make my way out of the city and back home, and you can do what the hell you like with that.’ He pointed into the case.

Was that true, he wondered? As much as part of him wanted to jump the fence and keep on running until he saw a great big sign with the word ‘Yorkshire’ on it, he knew he couldn’t turn his back on this fight.

‘How do we know that’s not going to blow up in our fucking faces?’ the man asked, pointing to the launcher.

‘How about I’ll be the one pulling the trigger?’ Burnett offered. ‘It blows up, it’ll take me with it.’

The masked man appraised him. ‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘Bring the case with you.’

The armed men turned and headed back. Burnett picked up the suitcase and trundled after them. They walked back through the streets until they came to the giant Bullring shopping complex, huge and hideous against the grey sky.

‘Nice to see you’ve picked a subtle hiding place,’ Burnett said.

If Slater and his army couldn’t find this place, they were a less formidable enemy than he’d imagined. There were sentries dotted around the exterior, and they could hear the activity inside coming up the road, clatters and bangs carrying on the wind.

Inside, the place buzzed with activity. ‘Fuck’s sake,’ the man in the mask said. ‘If I’ve told them once, I’ve told them a hundred times.

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