The rebel Mall Rats stood in an old, disused office building. The place had been ransacked but it was still liveable and the resistance could still run from there.
"This is perfect," Ebony said, sitting on an computer chair.
"Yeah but what are we going to do now?" Amber asked, sitting down on a table.
"We beat the Chosen," Lex said as he looked out of the window onto the city.
"But how?" Amber asked. "There are to many of them. We don't stand a chance."
"I didn't think the wonderful Amber gave up," Ebony said with a sly smile.
"I'm not giving up...well I suppose I am. The best thing we can do is leave the city..."
"No," Lily said, speaking for the first time since the break out. "What about everyone who's still stuck in the mall? What about Tai-San and Salene? What about Brady? I'm not leaving the city without her."
"But she is part of the Chosen," Lex said. "She won't come with us."
"Yes she will," Lily insisted. "She hates it there as much as anyone."
"So what are we going to do?" Bray asked. "Storm the mall? Go on a full scale attack? There are only seven of us."
"She never said that," Jay jumped in.
"We just have to use our old tactics," Ebony added. "Hit and run attacks. Then when the timing is right we strike."
"Strike? Strike how?" Amber asked.
"That's not important," Lily said. "The main thing is that we let the Chosen know that there are people out here willing to put up a fight."
"Yeah we need to show them that there are people to be reckoned with," Lex added.
"Now," Ebony said, standing up. "What's our first move?"
--
Brady was sitting in her room, reading a book. As she entered a different world the Guardian walked in, bringing her back to reality.
"What is it?" she asked with a sigh.
"Divine child I've heard you have dismissed your maid," the Guardian said, standing in front of her, menacingly.
"Yes I did. I don't need a maid," Brady told him, in her strongest voice.
"But you are the divine child," the Guardian told her. "You are to be looked after and you are to receive all of the privileges of the blood line of Zoot. You are to want for nothing."
"But I am quite capable of looking after myself," Brady said, less assuredly than before. The Guardian heard the drop in her voice and pounced.
"Brady you are the child of the great one," the Guardian began. "You deserve the privileged life. Now you will keep your maid and you will not deviate. It's time for you to join the Supreme Mother at the temple for a prayer class." Brady shakily stood.
"Yes Guardian," she said quietly. Brady left her room and walked to the temple. Why can't I stand up for myself? Brady asked herself. She sighed. She knew she was nothing like Zoot and the Guardian had a slight resentment towards her because of it. She sometimes wished she was like her father, that she was forward and tough. If she were she could easily stand up to the Guardian and save her friends. She sighed again, more slowly than before.
"But I'm not," she said out loud. "I'm just me."
--
Ebony was lying on a bed in the office building. The new rebels managed to find beds for themselves in an abandoned building next to theirs, which had housed the Demon Dogs before the Chosen took over. Ebony slowly rolled over onto her side and started to think about the last Chosen occupation. Bray had stopped her killing the Guardian on more than one occasion and if she had carried out the execution then none of this would be happening. As Ebony pondered the new war she was facing, Jay walked into the room and lay down beside her. He cuddled into her back and put his arm around her waist.
"Where have you been?" Jay asked, nuzzling into her neck.
"Just lying here thinking about the Chosen," Ebony told him. "You know during the last occupation I came so close to wasting the Guardian. I had the opportunity more than once but boy-scout Bray waded in."
"He just thought he was doing the right thing," Jay told her. Ebony turned onto her back and sighed.
"I know but we were so close," Ebony said. "If we had wasted the Guardian none of this would be happening." Jay pulled Ebony closer and kissed her on the cheek.
"It doesn't matter because we are going to put a stop to that mad man," Jay told her. "We managed to stop Ram, didn't we? This guy will be a walk in the park." Ebony smiled but her heart sunk. You have no clue, Ebony thought as Jay kissed her again.
The rebels sat around a large table, arguing about what to do about the Chosen.
"We need to get in there and get the others out," Lex said. "For the second time in our marriage that looney has my wife. The only difference is that this time he has my daughter as well. My family are in there and I don't care what the rest of you think we are mounting a resistance. If any of you don't like it leave now." Lex looked around the table and everyone stayed still. He thought about Tai-San who was once again stuck in the mall. "Good now what are we going to do?"
"Well they'll know were gone by now," Amber said. "I think the best strategy is doing what we did last time. We keep hitting the Chosen, keep attacking."
"But what can we do?" Jay asked. "There are so my of them."
"I think first we hit their food store. There are so many of them that food is their biggest weakness," Ebony told the group. "Then we hit the temples. They are springing up all over the city so we spring on them. We invade them, take out the guards and then take out the temples. After that we regroup and think of new ways to hit them."
"But we don't know where the food store is," Bray said, disheartened.
"I do," Ebony told them. "Well I think I do. After the first occupation Luke told us where the food stores were. The Guardian didn't know about it so they might still be using the same store."
"I think we need to check it out," Amber said with a nod. "We also need a group to check out security in the temples and we need someone to try and recruit more people. There are a lot of people out there who aren't Chosen."
"Most of the Chosen and even the Guardian have come from Techno camps," Jay said. "I heard rumours before about a man recruiting from camps but I never took much notice."
"Well that means that there are a lot of city kids and country kids who may be wiling to fight."
"Ok I will go with Jay to try and recruit kids," Amber said. "Ebony you and Lex go to the food store. Stake it out and see what security is like. Lily you and Bray go to the temples. Start with the one in sector five. I think it will be the safest. Is everyone ok with that?" Everyone around the table nodded. "Ok then, let's go."
--
The farm, which once belonged to Alice and Ellie, was again put to work by the Chosen. Ryan, who had taken over the running of the farm, was put to work every day. As he started to pick up the potatoes the Guardian walked out of the van that brought him to the farm. He surveyed the work that was being done and focussed his eyes on Ryan. Ryan noticed the look and kept his eyes down.
"You!" The Guardian said, pointing to him. Ryan kept his head down, hoping that the Guardian was pointing to someone else. "Bring him to me." Two guards grabbed Ryan and dragged him backwards towards the Guardian. They threw him to his knees and he fell in front of the Guardian. He struggled round and looked up into the Guardian's eyes.
"You are a Mall Rat are you not?"
"No Guardian," Ryan said slowly.
"Don't lie to me," the Guardian told him. Ryan felt the pain before he realised what had happened. The guard behind him struck him on the back of the head with his staff. Moments later he felt another blow and blackness enveloped him. The Guardian looked at the unconscious boy and to his guards.
"I want him in the mall," he told the guards. "He should be with his former tribe and be privileged to be within the temple of Zoot." The guards nodded and grabbed Ryan. They picked him up and tossed him into the back of the van. He landed with a dull thump and the doors closed with a loud bang. Ryan opened his eyes for a brief second before he fell back into the darkness.
--
Ebony and Lex dropped down behind a pile of crates. A black Chosen van passed by and drove slowly down the street and round a corner. Lex sighed.
"That was a close one," Lex said, standing up. He held out his hand and helped Ebony up.
"Yeah well life's not exciting without a few close ones," Ebony told him with a smile. "We're about two sectors away."
"Better get a move on then." Ebony led the way down the street, in the opposite way to which the Techno van went. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"
"Of course I do," Ebony told him, as they walked down the deserted street. "I have a memory like an elephant. I never forget."
"That's true but I seem to remember that the last time you thought you knew where the food reserve was you took me on a wild goose chase."
"And I seem to remember that you have a slap due," Ebony said, hitting Lex on the back of the head.
"Witch."
--
Lily and Bray stood in a deserted building opposite to that of the temple in sector 5. The temple was not heavily guarded, with only two guard watching the doors, but they had seen many Chosen go into the building to worship Zoot.
"We'll need to hit the temples during the afternoon," Lily told Bray.
"Why?"
"Because the Chosen are unlikely to be in the temple then," Lily said, her eyes still on the building. "During the afternoon the Chosen are busy on work parties. Between twelve and two there will only be a couple worshipping. That means that we can go in and waste the guards then the worshippers. Easy."
"Well should we head back?" Bray asked.
"No. There are ten Chosen in there. We need to wait until it empties."
"What should we do till then?" Bray asked with a smile.
"I don't know," Lily said, smiling a smile of her own. "Do you have any suggestions?" Bray pulled Lily close, kissing her passionately.
--
A guard entered the office of the Guardian and bowed his head.
"Yes, what do you want?" the Guardian asked.
"Guardian a work party broken free. Two guards have been killed." The Guardian narrowed his eyes.
"Who broke free?"
"It was the Mall Rat party. Lex, Ebony, Jay, Amber, Bray and Lily. They are all missing. Other slaves broke free as well but they have been recaptured."
"I want those Mall Rats found," the Guardian told the guard. "Last time the rebels caused problems. I don't want that to happen again. I want them found and I want an example made of them. While they are away I want the remaining Mall Rats put on extra work parties and I want their rations cut."
"Yes Guardian."
"Has the new slave Mall Rat woken yet?"
"Yes Guardian," the guard told him. "He is still in the infirmary recovering."
"Good. Put him with the Mall Rats when he is fully recovered and give him the same punishment as the others."
"Yes Guardian."
--
Amber slumped down onto a wall. Jay followed, sitting beside her, and put his head in his hands. They had spent the last two hours in sector seventeen trying to convince any non-Chosen they could find to join the rebel alliance. Sector seventeen was the only sector not controlled by the Chosen and it had become a haven for every non-Chosen in the city. The Chosen didn't go anywhere near sector seventeen, due to the high amount of crazies and low-lives, and that suited the inhabitants just fine. Jay and Amber had decided to start there. They knew that the sector now contained more than the normal crowd, it contained people who had lost friends and families due to the occupation and it was home to people who may fight. They had been wrong.
"People are just too scared to fight," Jay said, lifting his head off of his hands. "The Chosen have grown too big. There has already been so much blood shed, the others don't want to be added to the list of the dead."
"I know," Amber said with a sigh. "But we can't give up. Our friends are still in there. We can't just forget about them."
"You've changed your tune," Jay said, looking her in the eyes.
"I know but I've realised that we can't let the Chosen get away with it. We can't just lie down and play dead."
"You're right," Jay told her, standing up. "Let's go then. We need to get them active. They want to fight, they just don't know it yet." Jay helped Amber up and they headed down the street towards a drinking den.
--
Ebony peered around a corner and saw six guards stationed at the entrance to the food store Luke had once shown to her. Ebony estimated that there would be between four to six patrolling the back entrance and the sides of the building.
"Is this the place?" Lex asked from behind Ebony. She turned to face him and nodded.
"Yeah it must be it," she told him and took another look at the guards. "They wouldn't be guarding it so well if it wasn't."
"But why guard it so fiercely?" Lex asked. "They don't know about us and the city folk who haven't been captured are unlikely to try and break in. It would be suicide."
"That's true but if there wasn't so many guards it wouldn't be suicide, would it?"
"I guess not," Lex said. He moved Ebon behind him and peered around the corner himself. The guards were crowded around a door six doors down from their current position and Lex guessed that it was the store they were looking for. He turned quickly to Ebony. "If we take over the food store we'll have something to bargain with. If others don't want to join we could tempt them in with offers of food. No one has been fed well since those loonies took over again. Well that is if Amber and Jay don't have any luck."
"You know Lex that's one of the smartest plans you've ever come up with." Lex smiled a toothy, award-winning grin.
"Thanks," Lex said, still smiling. Ebony shook her head. "So what's our move?"
"Well we can't take them all on," Ebony told him. "We'll need the others on this. I think we could take them if we were all together."
"Should we head back to base then?"
"Might as well," Ebony said, turning in the direction they came in. Lex fell into step beside her.
"So are you worried?" Lex asked, a small smile on his face.
"Worried about what?" Ebony asked, quickening her pace. Lex kept up with her easily as they moved into the dirty side-streets and alleys.
"Worried about Lover-boy being all alone with Amber," Lex said, his smile slowly getting bigger. "Maybe Bray won't be the only one Amber steals." Ebony turned and scowled at Lex but kept walking.
"You'll get yours, Lex," she said slowly.
"I can't wait," Lex told her with a small laugh.
--
Lily looked out of the window and out onto the temple as she slowly zipped up her black leather top. They had been in the building for a few hours and the temple had finally emptied. The only people who remained were to new guards, standing outside of the doors.
"I think it'll be safe to go now," Lily told Bray, turning towards him. The building they were in was old, dirty and musty. It hadn't been used in a long time and Lily wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
"Do we have to?" Bray asked, giving her a gentle kiss. Lily pushed Bray off of her and stood up, stretching her arms above her head.
"Yes we have to go," Lily said, lowering her arms. "This is the first time in hours that the temple is clear and there are only guards. We can easily slip out the doors here without being spotted."
"Fine, fine," Bray grumbled. He stood up and dusted himself off. He looked out of the window and down the street. The entire place was deserted, apart from the Chosen guards, and there were absolutely no noises to hear. "It's pretty creepy here at night." Bray put his arms around Lily's waist and pulled her close. "If any monsters come, I'll protect you!"
"You? I could take you," Lily told him. "And I'm a girl." Lily smiled and kissed Bray softly.
"Well let's go back," Bray said, untangling his arms from her waist. "We better go and see what the others fond out." Lily grabbed her jacket and bag and slung the bag over her shoulder. The slipped down the stairs quietly and cunningly and escaped into the night with no interruptions.
--
Ved walked into the room he and Cloe shared. She was lying on the bed reading a book, but she put it down when he came in.
"How was work?" Cloe asked. The Chosen were more organised than before and now the slaves worked on a rotation system.
"Fine," Ved told her, pulling off his boots. He threw them hard against the wall. "I was working on a clean up crew. Nothing exciting to report."
"There never is," Cloe said, moving over on the bed to allow Ved to lie down. He joined her, stretching out on the bed, then lifted his for Cloe to rest on his chest.
"I heard a rumour though," Ved said, mysteriously.
"What?"
"Oh I can't tell you that," Ved said a smile. "It might not be true and then you'll get all moody..."
"I'm not moody," Cloe said, hitting him softly on the chest. "So just tell me...or I will get moody."
"Ok, ok I'll tell you," Ved said, turning towards her. "Rumour has it that one of the overnight slave groups got free yesterday morning and that only some of them have been caught."
"So. What does that matter? It's only a couple of lost slaves."
"Well haven't you noticed who isn't back from the work parties?" Cloe thought about it then shook her head.
"I'll give you a clue...you've known them for a long time." Cloe still looked clueless and Ved shook his head. "Some missing Mall Rats..."
"Amber, Lex and the others..."
"That's right genius."
"Praise be to Zoot," Cloe said with a laugh. "Finally something is going to get done about the Chosen."
"What makes you say that?" Ved asked.
"Well last time the freed Mall Rats started a rebel group and defeated the Chosen," Cloe told him. "They managed to confuse and break the Guardian."
"Didn't break him very well did they?"
"I guess not. If they manage to overthrow him again there is no way he'll ever survive."