I swung back by the tower first, checking every intersection twice for signs of human life before crossing. The building was crooked and still groaning from the bombs that Dreyfus had set off, trying to take it down and kill all the apes. They hadn't worked as intended, but Malcolm had still declared the structure too dangerous to enter. I defied that ruling, carefully squirrelling away as many supplies as possible, knowing that the others would have stripped the other caches around the city. Hopefully, they would leave soon, but until they were all gone, I needed to keep a low profile.
Blue Eyes followed me into the wreckage without question though he hesitated, looking sideways as we passed the place where Koba's body was hidden. I wondered if it was still there. The apes had all fallen back in with Caesar, and if any were unhappy about the outcome, they'd hidden it well so far.
I pulled three flat sheets out of the tumbled stack on the storeroom floor and folded them carefully under my arm, glancing around. There were still clean clothes here, I would come back and get some more. Couldn't have too many. I flinched as the floor shifted under me, flinging an arm out to the side, freezing where I stood as I waited for it to finally come crashing down and crush us both. It took several seconds of stillness before I could move again, and an encouraging brush on my arm by Blue Eyes, who scampered along without worry.
We headed south, not taking long to reach the Gardens, but just as the neat squares of cultivated earth came into view, I heard angry voices. Jumping backwards, I gestured silently for Blue Eyes to join me against the wall, my heart hammering as I listened. Too many voices for me to pick out any words, or identify the speakers, but their tone was all too clear. I remained hidden, watching the corner of the wall, praying they weren't coming this way. The voices grew louder, then faded again. I glanced at Blue Eyes, who was watching me intently, then crept along and crouched down, poking one eye out from my hiding place. Six people, all walking away from us with packs slung over their backs, their furious voices lingering even after they turned a corner.
The space remained empty but I was still tense, watching every opening for more movement. Biting my lip, I eyed the space between myself and the wheelbarrows. I could make it, as long as no one else turned up. If they did... anything could happen.
I turned back to Blue Eyes. "Does Ash have family?" I asked.
He nodded. "Rocket, Tinker," he huffed.
"Go find them, tell them what we're going to do, make sure they're okay with it," I said. "Then meet me in front of the capitol building - where his body is. If I'm not there, don't come looking for me."
He caught my arm as I turned away. "Why hide from humans?" he asked, his eyes intense.
I hesitated. "I'll explain later. Go now."
He considered me for a moment, then knuckled away. I let out a breath. At least he wouldn't have to watch if something did happen. Glancing up, I scanned the skyline, finding a patch of black paint, still recognisable as the Gen-sys logo I had painted one night, to throw Koba off. The humans had seen it too, and no doubt Denny had told them it had been me. He'd already spread the fact that I had been part of the team working to create the virus that had wiped out most of the population, why wouldn't he have shared that too?
Refocusing with a shake of my head, I gritted my teeth and stepped out from behind the building, jogging as quietly as possible across the open ground, slowing to crouch behind the line of wheelbarrows. Nothing. No sound, no movement. Snorting at my own paranoia, I stood up, grabbing the handles of the red barrow on the end and turning it around quickly, keeping the last finger of my left hand from taking any of the weight. Dropping the sheets into the bottom, I hurried away, wincing at every loud rattle as the barrow bumped over the rough ground.
I almost wished Malcolm would just hurry up and clear everyone out of the city. Maybe that was cruel, trying to push them out of the place they'd built up and even restored power to. Yet Malcolm had agreed they had to get out before they got caught up in a war, and once they were gone, I would be able to move around without having to worry so much about a mob coming after me.
Selfish, a small voice pointed out.
Grimacing, I ignored it, weaving my way down the road, back towards the capitol building, stopping at intervals to pick up rubble and pile it on top of one of the sheets in the wheelbarrow, eventually emerging past the library where I'd been holed up. Dark shapes were milling around the steps of the capitol building, and I recognised Blue Eyes and Rocket as I drew closer. There was another ape close by, sad eyes downcast, and a few others moving around them. I guided the barrow silently up the disabled ramp, kicking debris aside as I went, to make for a smoother descent. The apes shadowed me silently from the steps, watching curiously.
Ash's body laid sprawled in a pile of congealed blood, head twisted to one side. Halting the wheelbarrow as quietly as I could on the hard floor, I looked down at him for a moment as the apes moved up beside me. I glanced up to the place, high above, where Koba had thrown him down. Twisting my neck, I thought I could even see the place where I'd hidden and watched it happen. With a silent sigh, I returned my gaze to the body. Everyone was still and silent, even Rocket and the female beside him.
Carefully, I pulled the remaining two sheets out of the wheelbarrow and shook them open, laying them out on the floor just to the side of the pool of blood. With quiet reverence, Rocket and the female that I didn't recognise moved forwards, the dried blood prickling under their feet as they lifted Ash's body across onto the sheets. Settling him into a curled position on his side, they moved back. Ash's mother made a keening noise and I hesitated, but she didn't move again, so I crouched down and folded the sheets gently over the body that seemed much smaller now. Stepping away, I let the apes pick him up and place him carefully in the wheelbarrow, over the rubble I'd stacked at the bottom. I gently pulled the corners of the final sheet up and knotted them as tightly as I could. It would be just my luck for them to come undone.
We made a sombre procession towards the bridge as the sun sank slowly lower on our left. The lights shining from windows were almost dazzling, and I reminded myself yet again that I should start shutting them off.
I pushed the wheelbarrow, as the apes' arms were too long for them to do it comfortably. Blue Eyes walked along on my right, and Tinder and Rocket on my left, the others ranging around us. We passed other apes, all pausing in their various unidentifiable tasks to watch us, but saw no signs of other human life, for which I was grateful. The endless rumble of the wheel over the cracked road accompanied us all the way to the bridge.
.
.
Red steel arched over us, flying on unseen wings towards the heaven. What would it be like, at the top? Hidden in clouds, living in misty nothing rather than down here in the war preparations. Looking around, there was no other way to describe what I was seeing. Ammunition checks, examination of grenades and rocket launchers, watchers on both sides of the bridge, the pounding of horses' hooves as they clattered back and forth, quieter sounds of apes' paws scuttling in every direction.
Most of the apes here were too busy to be interested in us, but some still looked up, examining the wheelbarrow with inquisitive eyes. They looked at me with almost equal curiosity, but it hadn't taken long for Caesar's verdict to go out; I was allowed to stay. Not trusted perhaps, not by all of them, but on the verge of acceptance. There were no objections as I wheeled Ash's body out to about a quarter of the way along the bridge, and stopped, stepping gently away until I felt the fence that had once separated pedestrians from cars at my back.
This time, Blue Eyes stepped forwards with Rocket, the pair of them hoisting the heavy load high up and over the railing. It disappeared shockingly fast, without warning or ceremony. So quick to fall. Blue Eyes looked to me, his eyes still lost. I raised my eyes to the sky.
"Goodbye," I said simply. It didn't seem like enough, but it was all I had. Remembering the words I'd spoken over Koba, I felt a stab of guilt that I didn't have anything to offer to a far more innocent life but my mind remained stubbornly blank.
The apes didn't seem to find it lacking, all echoing around me, some with enough enunciation for me to pick out the word, but several just making a rumble in their throats.
Blue Eyes was the one to move, his right hand coming up to his shoulder as he stared off out to sea, bending his fingers into a fist. The wave would have been laughable if it wasn't so solemn, and instantly mirrored by all the others. Glancing around, I nearly choked when I saw the other apes close by had paused their tasks, all joining in the silent farewell.
Sinking down where I was, I sat on the concrete base of the fence and hugged my knees, choking back a laugh as I looked up at the sun.
Is that what you didn't see, Koba? What you didn't account for? That every life matters to every single one of them? Blinking, I lowered my gaze to stare out to sea. Maybe that's what we lost too. It was a sobering thought, flooding my mind until an ape crouched down next to me.
Blue Eyes was silent, following my gaze out across the ocean for a moment before looking at me. I raised my hand, forming a fist and releasing it. He huffed a laugh, nodding.
"Good-bay," he said.
I squeezed my lips together to try and hide my smile. "Goodbye," I emphasised.
"Good... by."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
.
.
A/N: As I mentioned in the earlier note, I wrote both of these together, so only fair to put them out together. Hope you enjoyed, any and all reviews are received with much joy and love.