Chapter 24
As Gary strode away, Say locked up again and turned to face Steve.
"You let him go!" Steve yelled, petulantly.
"From what I've seen," Say replied, calmly, "the only person Gary ever listens to is Marc there and if he can't calm him down and persuade him to stay, then none of us can. I'm not going to keep people here by force!"
"He won't survive out there alone! No-one can! Not for long!"
"You never know. On his own, he may have more of a chance - more difficult to spot and all that, only himself to worry about. Or he may find another tribe. Either way, it's his decision."
"And we all know how great Gary's decisions are!"
"He made the decision to come here looking for you! If he hadn't, he and the four he brought with him might have been killed too in that raid."
"Or they might have been able to stop it. You don't know what Sophia was after. She told us it was food and supplies, but it might just have been Gary!"
"Yes, you're right, it might just have been Gary she wanted, but do you really think that would have stopped her killing everyone who tried to get in her way? She may be nuts, but she's not stupid! She aimed that gun at her biggest threats when she attacked us: Cat, because she's a good fighter; Amy because she'd just taken down one of Sophia's fighters on her own; and Bobbi because she had the guts to go straight for Sophia herself."
Steve looked at Say then turned and stormed off in a rage. Say made her way back to the restaurant. Some of the others had already left and Marie was busily tidying away used dishes. Alice was picking at her food and Anni was watching her with a worried look. Eventually the younger girl got up and hurried out of the room without a word.
"What's wrong with her?" Say asked Anni.
"A bit of a crush, I think. It'll pass in time."
"On Gary?" Say laughed slightly, "Whatever does she see in him?"
"You're asking the wrong person!" Anni replied laughing, "But I'm fairly sure that's what it is."
***********************
Sophia looked up at the immense building that housed Central Station. The spectacular architecture was an impressive mix of French gothic and Victorian styles. Her people had worked fast: the shops around the sides of the building, as well as the side entrances, were all securely shuttered and the main entrance was fairly well guarded.
She walked in, her brothers trailing behind her. The wide expanse of the railway station billowed out before them, its sides lined with the wood and glass facades of shops, coffee houses and bars. Above them stretched the rows of windows of the Central Station Hotel, its bedrooms looking out into the station itself as well as the street outside. That was where she would house many of her recruits, Sophia thought. They would train them in this compound before her and feed them in the various eateries. Within this building was space enough for a small village of people, all under her command of course, and that village would be just the start of her empire.
***********************
Gary looked around him, deciding which way to go. He headed up the hill, towards the main shopping precinct. It wasn't a good idea to stay out in the open for long, he thought, so he turned off half way up the hill into a side street. He knew the city well: knew where the hiding places were, knew where the smallest restaurants could be found that, probably, hadn't been raided yet. If he could find one of those, without an occupant, he could hide out for days. Walking quickly he made his way through the cold, empty, lifeless streets.
***********************
Britt sat in her room with Christy. She had left the restaurant not long after she had heard Steve finish shouting at Say.
"I just don't know what to do," she told the taller girl, playing with the end of one of her braids.
"Do you think he's telling the truth?" Christy asked.
"I want to. I don't know though. I hardly know him, really! How am I supposed to know if he's telling the truth!"
"I guess you just have to decide for yourself. Anyway, I know I've known him even less time than you have, but he didn't strike me as the kind of guy who would do that to his brother."
" I know, me neither, but..." Britt broke off, hearing her name being shouted, "What the...!"
The two girls hurried out to the balcony. On the mosaic floor below stood Steve, a bag sitting on the floor to one side and a set of portable speakers and CD player from the hi-fi shop on the top floor surrounding him. Steve himself had changed his clothes and had a leather jacket on, suggesting to Britt, along with the presence of the bag, that he might be leaving.
"What are you doing?" Britt cried, "You're going after him, aren't you!"
"I know you don't believe me," Steve shouted back, ignoring Britt's question, "And I don't have time for long speeches or saying everything I've already said a dozen times before, so I'm just going to do this and hope you listen to the words and understand."
"He's gonna sing!" Britt whispered, in horror, to Christy, "Is he gonna sing to me? He's not actually gonna sing, right?"
"Aw, sweetie, I think it's cute! James never sang to me, and anyway, if anyone looks silly, it's him, not you!"
A small crowd had gathered on the steps above the mosaic, outside D'Arcy's. There were a few heads looking over various balconies as well. Bobbi's black and blue hair bobbed into sight.
"Ooh! Karaoke!" was heard as she pushed though the gathering, only to be caught by Marc.
"Not for you, Trouble," he said, grabbing her round the middle.
As the remainder of the group looked on, Steve started the music playing and silence descended amongst the onlookers. With the leather jacket, bleached hair and blue jeans, he looked almost exactly like the guy who had made the song famous. It actually was a miniature karaoke system he had hooked up, with Marc's help, and as he lifted the radio microphone, the original artist's voice was replaced, in somewhat shakier tones, by his own.
So lately
Been
wonderin'
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone
You'll
need love
To light the shadows on your face
If
a great wave should fall If I
could,
It would fall upon us all
And between
the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own
Then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high
Or down low
I'll
go wherever you will go And maybe
I'll
find out
The way to make it back someday
To watch you
To
guide you
Through the darkest of your days
If
I could
If
a great wave should fall
It would fall upon us all
Well then I
hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you
Then
I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high
Or
down low Runaway with my
heart
I'll go wherever you will go
Runaway with my hope
Runaway with my love
"Isn't that kinda the wrong way round?" Britt whispered, "I mean, he's the one running away from me, right?"
"Only physically, sweetie. Metaphorically, you're the one who's been pushing him away. Not forgetting you locked yourself in a hair salon for a day or two and didn't come out until you'd bleached the poor boy's hair! Anyway, shush! I'm listening, even if you ain't!"
I know now
Just
quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart
And
your mind If I could
I'll stay with you for all of time
Then
I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high
Or
down low
I'll go wherever you will go
If
I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could
make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go
As the song ended, Steve shouldered his bag and laid the microphone down on the speakers, walking out of the circle of the mosaic without another word. Britt watched as he reached the top of the stairs to the ground level at the corner diagonally opposite from her and, therefore, furthest from her. Say and Alice followed him up the stairs, but Alice only hugged him and whispered something to him then watched as Say walked down the corridor with him to the door.
Britt stood, shocked and staring, open-mouthed, at the spot where Steve had disappeared from view. Her emotions churned in whirlpools of confusion inside her and she couldn't move.
"You know," Christy suggested, "if you run, you could still catch him!"