I considered Rick’s comments and could see his reasoning. An electrician would be like a movie star, the new celebrity in our sparse world. All our histories had been wiped, records expunged; the only currency now would be transferable skills and the ability to work with others. Ultimately, though, without an army or law enforcement, strength would take control of any new organization, weapons, and numbers.
A small ripple of applause grabbed my attention. Morgan strolled onto the court, flanked by Chip and another man dressed in full combats, perhaps one of his team leaders.
Morgan climbed the umpire’s chair and raised a megaphone to his mouth. “Welcome, fellow company members. I’m sure, like me, you were looking forward to the wine tasting tonight. I’m afraid it’s been cancelled.”
A quiet murmur echoed around the stadium. He continued, “I will try to be brief, as we have a lot of work to do. You have worked tremendously hard since we came together. Some of you I have grown to know well. Others have recently joined us, but only by integrating and working together can we be strong.”
“Do you think he’ll mention GA?” Jack asked.
I shrugged. “We’ll see.”
“Everybody here is integral to our survival,” Morgan said, sweeping his hand around the stadium. “Your past does not matter. What’s important is the part of our jigsaw puzzle you can fill. Our fledgling community can keep you all safe; work with us, share with us, and grow with us. I can’t promise that things will return to the way they were. All of that is gone. However, with hard work and organization we can ensure that no one is hungry, cold, or living in fear.”
Rick rolled his eyes. “This guy loves himself.”
“I’ve started a research and development team. They’re looking at other sites outside the city. We’ll evaluate farming and producing our own food sources, and build long-term sustainability for future generations. In short, we’ve all achieved incredible progress in a short space of time. There is still an amazing amount of work to do.”
He paused, raised his chin, and looked around the stadium. “This brings me to our most important item. We are facing a threat to our very existence. Currently, on Hart Island a force is planning another event, and our capture or destruction. Chip is building a team for an assault tonight. We will defeat them and stop them in their tracks. I’m sure you have questions, so please consult your team leaders. But let me say this.” He raised a clenched fist. “Together and only together, we will survive. Thank you.”
A quiet ripple of applause followed. Two people raised their hands. Morgan climbed down the steps of the umpire’s chair and tossed the megaphone to Chip. He mingled with a group sitting in the front row. Chip and the suit stood behind him. Members of Chip’s team approached him, no doubt full of questions about tonight’s activities.
The atmosphere around the court seemed purposeful. People busily chatted in the glorious sunshine. Chip shot a glance to me and gestured to a side entrance. He probably wanted to start planning and organizing our supplies immediately. I certainly did.
“You know, this isn’t—” Jack said.
He gaped at me.
The stadium jolted, like a mini-earthquake had hit. A shock wave ran through my body.
8
I unslung my rifle. “Jesus Christ, no. It can’t be.”
“Is this it?” Jack asked.
Rick didn’t appear to understand our sudden fright. I looked at the group below. Some ducked behind their chairs; others stood in a huddle in frantic conversation. I noticed Chip standing on baseline, hands on hips, gazing skyward.
I held my breath.
Like an alarm clock breaking sleep, four more jolts pulsed through the stadium in rhythmic succession.
“Get down!” I shouted.
I scrambled behind my seat and aimed toward the court.
Roars, screams, and cries echoed around the stadium, followed by multiple gunshots. An “every man for himself” fight broke out by the net. People fired at each other from close range.
A man pinned a woman to the ground, gritted his teeth and clamped his hands around her neck. Another stamped on a smaller man’s head, jumping in the air to provide extra force. A woman fired a pistol at the back of his head. He collapsed lifelessly to the ground. She pressed the weapon against her temple, pulled the trigger, and fell on top of him.
A man with a blood-soaked knife picked up the woman’s pistol and fired into his own mouth.
I looked across the stadium at a previously populated balcony. Two people struggled with each other among the seats.
Others backed away, through the entrances to the court. A woman leaned over her balcony and sprayed the court with automatic fire.
A window shattered to our right, possibly three suites along. The stadium crackled with gunfire and echoed with screams.
A round ricocheted off the metal rail in front of our balcony.
“Inside!” I shouted.
I followed Jack and Rick, slammed the door, locked it, and closed the curtains. Rick sprinted to the suite entrance and secured the latch. Thankfully, our procedure on him had worked. The activation was supposed to have occurred on Tuesday, and we had believed it was to process survivors. This looked like a repeat of the first, and we were right in the midst of it.
“This is fucked,” Rick said. “Exactly like what happened last Friday.”
Jack knelt and peered around a curtain. “That’s our bloody plan up in smoke.”
“We need to get the hell out of here,” I said. “Too many hiding places for killers.”
I’d only had a tiny glimpse of what had happened en masse last Friday, but it had been chilling enough. I guessed that with HQ breathing down the neck of the local goons, they’d sent out the second activation as soon as they could, although this appeared to be against their plan. It smelled of Anthony and Jerry.
“Lisa and the kids,” Jack said. “I’m going to their suite. They need our help.”
Rick tried to grab him as he ran for the door. “You’re mad. We can’t go charging around.”
Jack wriggled free of his grasp and unlocked our door. “It’s nine doors down. I’m not leaving them.”
I could see Rick’s point, but we had to take some responsibility. Jack had neutralized Lisa’s group, and I could tell he’d quickly built a rapport with her. I hadn’t seen them at the parade, so they might be in their suite.
On current evidence, it seemed unlikely that any others had carried out our procedure. If we wanted to rescue them, we had to move.
“Let’s do it,” I said. “We go in all-round defensive formation. Any sign of trouble, shoot.”
“I’ll take us straight there,” Jack said. “Don’t worry about that.”
Rick took a deep breath and moved to the door. “Okay, guys, I’m in.”
I opened it slightly and listened. Hearing no footsteps, I peeped out in both directions. “Clear.”
Jack edged past me, crouching, and aimed along the curving corridor. I dodged to the left, covering the opposite direction. Rick stepped between us.
Because of the circular nature of the structure, we could see no more than thirty yards in either direction.
I waved Jack and Rick away. “I’ll cover the rear—go.”
Shuffling backward, I tried to keep pace with Jack and Rick.
Behind me, I heard faint knocking, not like the distant gunfire, but more like knuckles on wood. A hand pressed against my back.
“Wait,” Rick said.
“Someone there?” I asked.
“Knocking on Lisa’s door,” Jack said.
“Come out, Lisa. Everything’s fine,” a male voice shouted.
“Fuck this,” Jack said.
He ran forward. Two shots split the air, and a scream blasted along the corridor.