Jay and Amber walked into a large office room that the rebels had been using as a headquarters. They found Lex and Ebony already there, sitting at the desk and talking. Jay and Amber sat down.
"What did you find?" Amber asked, sitting her coat onto the desk.
"Well we think the building is still being used as a food store," Ebony said.
"Think?" Jay asked.
"Well we were not sure," Lex told them. "There were too many guards to get close."
"How many?"
"Six," Ebony said. "But I think there many have been some round the back too. We can't be sure that it holds food but it holds something big."
"Good. We'll keep an eye on it over the next few days and then we'll strike," Amber told the others.
"What about you guys," Lex asked. "Did you recruit anyone?"
"Not yet," Jay said. "They're all too scared to fight. We tried every tactic in the book and it's just not working. For now it's just us."
"Great," Lex said, with a long sigh. "The Chosen are back, they are stronger than ever and we've only got a six person rebellion. Fantastic."
"Don't worry," Jay told Lex, leaning back in his chair. "Word has gotten around that we've escaped. People are excited. If we show them we mean business then we can win this war. All we need is something big and people will join."
"Build it and they will come?" Ebony asked with a smile.
"Exactly,"Jay said. "We can do this." As Jay finished Lily and Bray walked in. They quickly sat down and Lily put her head onto the large table. "How did it go?"
"Fine. We went to the temple," Lily told the group. "There are only two guards but there is a lot of action with off duty Chosen. A lot go there to pray. I think the best time to strike would be during the day."
"What?" Lex asked. "During the day? With no darkness to cover us? When Chosen guards will be going to pray?"
"Let me finish," Lily said, cutting Lex off before he had the chance to raise any more questions. "We go during the work parties. Most of the guards are busy working meaning that only a few will be praying. We can easily take out the guard on front then, once we get in there, we can overpower the others."
"Sounds good to me," Lex said. "Let's get in there and show those Chosen we're a force to be reckoned with."
"Hang on Lex," Amber told him. "We can't just barge in there without any planning. We don't plan we get caught."
"It's always plan, plan, plan with you Amber," Lex said, leaning back in his chair. "You've alway been the same...all those cleaning rotas. Brings me out in a rash." Amber shook her head.
"Anyway we should start planning on raiding the temple. After that we can do the food store. That's going to be a big one. It's going to hit them hard and it'll be a trading point with the others."
"We can start planning tomorrow," Jay said, standing up. "It's been a big day and I think we should just relax. The next few weeks are going to be hectic."
"Agreed," Amber said, standing up. "We'll meet tomorrow and start planning." Everyone stood up and went there separate ways. Once everyone cleared the room and Ebony walked towards Jay and put her arms around his waist.
"So how does it feel to be a rebel?" Ebony asked Jay, a seductive grin on her face.
"I dunno," Jay said, reaching down to kiss her. "As long as I get to feel you, it's all good." Ebony pulled away, hitting Jay in the stomach. She went to hit him again but he caught her hand and spun her round, turning the hit attempt into a Hollywood kiss.
--
Ryan stood up from the unusual bed he had found himself in. He was told that he was back in the mall, in a sort of infirmary, and that he had been knocked out back at the farm. He had felt the pain in the back of his head and he vaguely remembered someone striking him. This was his first trip out of bed and he was feeling better, a lot better in fact. As he walked towards the door a guard walked in.
"Hey you," the guard said, almost shouted. "Back to your bed. You are to stay in bed until you are told otherwise."
"But I'm feeling better," Ryan said, standing his ground.
"Better?" The guard asked. "Well then you can no longer stay here. The Guardian said that as soon as you were better you were to be taken back to your former tribe."
"The Mall Rats?" Ryan asked, widening his eyes. "No I'm not feeling better. I made a mistake I should stay here."
"Too late," the guard told Ryan. He motioned and two other guards rushed in and grabbed Ryan by the arms. They began pulling him to the door but he resisted.
"No I'm ill," he protested, but the large guards over powered him. They dragged him to the door and out into the main part of the mall. He saw Cloe, Salene, a young man and small child gathered at the fountain. He began to struggle a more as Salene came closer and closer into view. His struggle proved to be fruitless as he was thrown in front of his former tribe. He landed in the middle of them, on his front, his head down. The others stood up and the man rushed to help him.
"You ok, man?" He asked, helping him up.
"Yeah I'm fine," Ryan said, looking up. His eyes found Salene's and he looked away again.
"Ryan?" Salene asked, her eyes widened as she looked at her 'former' husband.
--
Lex sat on the roof of the office building, looking out over the city. He was absentmindedly running his hands along the ground, the dirt clinging to his fingers. His eyes scanned the buildings, most of them he knew were empty. He stood up and walked to the edge of the roof and looked over. He couldn't see the mall from where he was and he sat back down on the roof, his legs dangling over the edge. He picked up a few pebbles and began to throw them, trying to hit the building on the other side of the road. He sighed. He missed Tai-San and Rhoda. He knew the Guardian's hatred for Tai-San and now he couldn't protect her, not that he could do much when he was there. Amber walked up behind him as he continued to throw his stones. She sat down beside him and allowed her own legs to dangle over the side.
"Are you worried about them?" Amber asked, picking up her own stones. Lex brought his hands into his lap, giving up his stone throwing game. He turned to Amber as she began to drop stones over the edge.
"What kind of question is that?" Lex asked. "That fruit-cake is doing god knows what to my wife and my little girl is in there. If he lays a hand on her..."
"Don't worry Lex," Amber told him, releasing all of her rocks at once. "He wouldn't touch her. Brady wouldn't let him anyway."
"I hope you're right. If he touched her...he'd be a dead man walking. I mean it, Amber. I wouldn't be able to hold myself back."
"I know Lex," Amber said, standing up. "And don't worry about Tai-San. She's a strong woman...even now she's strong." Lex looked up at Amber, squinting his eyes as the sun peaked around Amber and into his eyes.
"I know but I just hate seeing him getting away with it all," Lex said and turned back to swing his legs over the edge. Amber looked at Lex and turned, heading back into the building.
--
Ebony lay beside Jay on their bed. His arm was around her neck and draped over her shoulder. Ebony slowly turned over on the bed and put her arm around Jay's waist. She could feel Jay's heart beating and she looked up at him. Jay looked down at her and smiled then kissed the top of her head.
"What?" Jay asked.
"Nothing," Ebony said shaking her head.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Jay asked, giving her an extra squeeze. Ebony shrugged.
"Yeah," Ebony told him, sitting up on her elbows. "It'll just be like before. Except this time there are more Chosen, there are fewer rebels and the odds really are against us."
"Do you think we'll defeat them?"
"Of course."
"Really?" Jay asked, sitting up and crossing his legs.
"Yeah," Ebony said, tilting her head. She thought for a moment about the Chosen and the odds against them. "The Chosen are built on a lie. Zoot was no God. He was just another messed up kid. He could lead and fight, I'll give him that, but he wasn't a god. We just need to show them that. Why? Don't you think we'll do it?"
"Of course I do," Jay told her. "I just think some people are losing heart."
"Don't worry about that," Ebony told him, sitting up and facing him. "Once we start hitting the Chosen they'll get there spark back."
"I hope so," Jay said. "Otherwise we're already beaten."
--
The Mall Rats stood staring at Ryan, unsure of what to think. It was Cloe who moved first, walking up to Ryan and giving him a cuddle.
"Ryan," she said, squeezing him tightly. "What happened to you? Where have you been?" Ryan hugged her back. He couldn't believe that he was back in the mall, after so many years apart. He was hoping that the Mall Rats wouldn't recognise him, but he had been wrong. They were his family and they would always recognise each other, no matter how long they had been apart.
"Hey everyone," he said, as Cloe let go.
"We've missed you, Ryan," Tai-San said, giving him her own hug. "It's been a long time."
"Yes it has," Ryan said. Salene walked slowly up to him and gave him her own cuddle, which was stiff and awkward. "How has everyone been?" Ryan knew that he was a lot quieter than he had been, a lot more thoughtful. He had seen a lot in the mines and during the first few months of the second Chosen occupation he had seen the woman, he had finally allowed himself to fall in love with, be murdered in front of his eyes. He looked at Salene but quickly looked away. She was still the same girl he had married all those years ago but he couldn't let himself care again. I've already been hurt enough, he thought looking at his family.
"Everyone is fine," Cloe said. "Except for the Chosen and the Techno's everything has been great." Ryan smiled.
"Sorry," he said quietly. "Where's everyone else?"
"Well we were all together," Tai-San told him. "But Lex, Ebony, Jay, Bray, Amber and Lily escaped." Ryan nodded.
"I don't have a clue who half of them are." Cloe smiled.
"You'll learn," she said, still smiling. Salene stood, quietly, not saying anything. She wasn't sure what to think. When she left the mall to find Ryan she found herself, not her long lost husband. Since then the only man that had been in her life was Pride, who had suffered a premature death. Now her mind, and her heart, were being torn in two. One part of her was remembering the feelings that she had, had for Ryan, with the other part clinging to the barrier that she had built after Pride died. As Cloe, Tai-San and Ved filled Ryan on the goings on in the mall since he left, Salene slowly backed away from the group and headed to her room. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryan watched her go.
--
The rebels gathered around the table, sitting close together. They were talking about the ransacking of the temple.
"Do you think they'll have any supplies?" Lily asked.
"I'm not sure," Amber said. "If they do it'll be minimal. They will only have enough for the guards and some worshippers."
"Why are we even targeting the temples?" Lex asked. "So we bump off a few guards and wreck them. So what? The Guardian won't care."
"We just need to let them know that we're not going to lie down take it," Amber told him. "We just need to show him that there are people willing to fight. Then we go in for the big jobs." Lex shook his head.
"So when are we going to hit the place?" Ebony asked.
"Today," Lily answered. "We need to strike while the irons hot. We go at noon. By that time all of the Chosen will be on there work details and we stand a better chance."
"We'll need weapons," Ebony said. "We can get them easily enough. Maybe we should get some spray cans, leave a little message for the Guardian. I'll take Lex and Bray and we'll go to sector seventeen, see what we can muster up."
"Ok you do that and the rest of us will go to the temple," Amber said. "We can hide in the building that Lily and Bray used yesterday. We'll check it out and you can meet us there. That way if there's anything suspicious we don't need to go through with it."
"Let's get going then," Jay said, standing up and stretching. "We've only got a few hours until noon so we need to work quickly." The others stood up and grabbed their coats. They separated into groups and started to leave. Ebony pulled Jay back as the others went outside.
"Be careful," she said, giving him a slow kiss.
"I always am," Jay told her with a smile. The both leaned in for another kiss when Lex popped his head around the door.
"We've not got all day," He said, disappearing again. Ebony rolled her eyes and they walked outside, joining the others.
--
The Guardian sat in his suite, opposite Trudy. He was fidgeting, tapping his fingers quickly on his wrist.
"I know the rebels cannot win against us but the escape is showing us to be weak."
"Well why not show the people our power?" Trudy asked. "We can take more slaves."
"No," the Guardian said, still tapping his fingers. "That will not do. We need something to show them that we are the strong, that we will not be beaten." Trudy thought for a moment then smiled. "Do you have something Supreme Mother?"
"Yes," Trudy said, the smile still plastered on her face. "We show the people we are strong by having a...sacrifice to the mighty Zoot." A smile slowly spread across the Guardian's face.
"Perfect," the Guardian said, as he stopped tapping his fingers. "A public sacrifice. We shall show the people." Trudy smiled and leaned back into her chair.
"Zoot be praised," she said, still smiling.
"And to his Chosen victory."
--
Cloe and Ved sat in the café, having a drink. Cloe sat her cup down and looked up.
"I never thought I'd see Ryan again," she said, as Ved finished his water.
"Why?"
"I don't know," Cloe answered. "He was taken so many years ago I just didn't think he'd find his way home."
"Home?" Ved asked with a chuckle.
"You know what I mean," Cloe said, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Well you came back and you were gone for years."
"That's true."
"And so did I."
"True again."
"So why is it so shocking?" Cloe thought about it for a moment.
"Just shut up," she said, scowling. Ved laughed, causing Cloe to smile a little.
--
Amber, Jay and Lily sat watching the temple that they were about to ransack. Jay and Amber sat on the floor as Lily, who was sitting on a box, watched the temple out of the window.
"It's pretty quiet out there," Lily said, still looking out of the window. "Only a couple of people have gone in and out."
"Looks like we were right then," Amber said, looking up at Lily.
"I guess so," Jay said, standing up and walking over to Lily. He looked out of the window at the guards, who were sitting on the steps and talking. One of the guards was female and one was male. "We can easily take them out. How many are inside?"
"Right now?" Lily asked and Jay nodded. "There are three inside. So far six have gone in and left. There may be a couple of guards inside, maybe two, but once we take out the two in front we can easily take those that are inside."
"Are you sure of the numbers?" Lily looked at her father and raised her eyebrow.
"While you two have been sitting playing cards I've been keeping a close eye on things, ok?"
"I think that's a yes," Amber said with a laugh. Jay joined with his own laugh.
"Ok I'll take over," Jay said, turning Lily around. Lily walked in the direction her father had turned her and sat down across from Amber.
"What's the game?" Lily asked, as Jay stared out of the window.
--
Trudy sat in her suite with Brady. Brady watched her mother flick through an old, browning magazine from the old days. Brady enjoyed to read herself but she didn't understand her mothers obsession with the magazines that she read and found it strange that members of the Chosen actually brought the browning pages as presents. Trudy's eyes flicked up to Brady, leaving the page, and she smiled at her daughter.
"What is it, darling?" Trudy asked, closing the magazine. Brady sighed and sat up straight, her back against the sofa. She brought her knees up from the ground and looked at her mother again.
"Why are we doing this?" Brady asked.
"What do you mean."
"You know what I mean," Brady said, motioning around herself. "This. Why did you agree to become the Supreme Mother? You told me that this was a part of your life you never wanted to repeat or remember. So why?" Trudy's smile slowly faded. "I've not asked because you're always with the Guardian but now I have you alone you need to tell me. Why are you doing this to my friends, our friends. Why are you making me hurt the people I love the most?" A grim line set on Trudy's lips.
"Brady we have a role to play," Trudy told her daughter, in a soft voice. "This was inevitable and would have happened with or without us."
"You're not answering my question, mum. I would never dare question the Guardian but I will question you."
"Brady I hate hurting our friends as much as you do but I must look out for my family. You are my family. If I hadn't agreed to join the Chosen I don't know what the Guardian would have done to you. He is not sane and any sort of rebellion would not be good for anyone. I had to do this." Brady looked at her mother, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. She may fear the Guardian, and a lot of others, but she loved her mum. Brady knew then that she had to stick by both her mother and the Mall Rats, no matter how long it would take. Brady stood and walked over to the lavish sofa her mother was sitting on. She sat down beside her and Trudy wrapped her up in her arms.
--
Ebony, Lex and Bray stood in a small shop which had been taken over, shortly after the virus, and had been in constant use since then. The store was well know for getting items that weren't in everyday circulation and Ebony had often used it when she was leader of the Locos; getting weapons and other such items. Ebony looked around the room and smiled at the memories it brought back. There were wooden shelves filled with toys, hiding the deadly secret with festivity. There were old posters and stickers on the wall, whose bright colours had slowly faded. It hadn't changed much over the years and she was reminded of the many times she and Zoot would visit, threatening their way into free weaponry. Ebony smiled in remembrance as the owner, Nathan, walked out from behind a dark red curtain. He sat weapons on the counter and a few egg shaped items. Lex picked up one of the long weapons and examined it. It was wooden with a metal shaped end. Lex nodded in approval.
"Looks good," Lex said, sitting it back with the others. He picked up the egg shaped item and squinted his brow. "What's this Nathan?" The shop keeper smiled.
"I'm not sure if it will interest you," he said, still smiling sadistically.
"We won't know if it will until you tell us," Ebony said, picking up one of the eggs and examining it. It was hard but brittle, easy to break, and as Ebony moved it around in her hand she felt something slosh around inside.
"Well it's something I've been working on, a prototype," Nathan told them. "It's filled with a liquid, best not to go into it. We've mixed it with paint. You simply throw it at an enemies face and when it explodes it fills their eyes, blinding them and disorienting them. Are you interested?" Bray was fingering an egg.
"How many have you got?" Bray asked, sitting the one he was holding down with the others.
"Just the six that are in front of you. Like I say it's something we've been working on so we haven't got too many. I suggest that if you want them you keep them for a big battle, an important one."
"We'll take it all," Lex told him, picking up the staffs. Ebony picked up the eggs and put them into her bag.
"We'll pay you as soon as the war is over," Ebony told Nathan with a smile. "Maybe it'll be like the old days and we'll decorate you as a hero." Nathan smiled.
"Payment would be enough," Nathan said with a laugh. "I already know how much of a hero I am." Ebony smiled and finished loading the eggs into her bag.
"Thanks mate," Lex said, walking out the door first. Bray gave a small wave as he walked out, trying to hold some of the staffs Lex had given him. Ebony stopped at the door and looked over to Nathan.
"Thanks for this," she said. "You do good work."
"No problem," Nathan said as Ebony walked through the door. "I'm just your friendly, neighbourhood weapons expert."
--
Jay watched out the window, still looking at the Temple, when Ebony, Lex and Bray walked in. They dumped the weapons down onto the floor and sat down.
"How was it?" Jay asked, still looking out of the window.
"It was fine," Ebony told him. "We got the weapons easily enough and we didn't have any run-ins with the Chosen."
"Good," Amber said.
"How long have we got?" Bray asked, taking Lily's hand.
"About half an hour," Amber told her son. "How's it looking out there?"
"Quiet," Jay told the group, his eyes still focussed on the temple doors. "There hasn't been any activity in the last half hour."
"Looks like we were right on the money," Ebony said, nodding.
"So are we going to go now?" Lex asked.
"Lex we still need to wait," Amber told him.
"Why?" Lex asked, standing behind Jay and looking out of the window. "You heard Jay It's quiet. Why don't we strike now? If we wait we might miss the opportunity."
"Lex is right," Bray said. "We should go now, while we can.
"Ok, ok," Amber said, throwing her hands up in a surrender. "We'll go now. Everyone grab your weapons. Let's go to war."
--
Ryan pulled his t-shirt over his head and slid it down to his trousers. His days in the mines and on the farm had slimed him down somewhat, but not as much as Ryan thought it would have. He grabbed his belt and started to tighten it when he heard a knock at the door. He quickly fastened his belt and saw Salene standing at the door. He smiled and she smiled back.
"Salene," Ryan said enthusiastically. "Nice of you to drop by."
"I thought we should have a talk. Can I come in?" Salene asked and Ryan nodded, motioning for her to sit on the bed. She walked over to the bed and sat down, as Ryan sat down himself. Salene clasped her hands in front of her and looked up at Ryan.
"I thought I should come and apologise," Salene said. Ryan's brow furrowed.
"Why?"
"For the way I treated you back when we were married, for not finding you." Ryan nodded. "I should have found you. After I lost the baby I knew I had t find you but I just couldn't. I did try and find you but I couldn't." Ryan lowered his head.
"What happened to our baby?" Ryan asked. When he had been working in the mines he had been given a message from Luke, telling him about the baby. Luke had told Ryan about Salene's reluctance to tell him and his heart broke as he thought about his wife alone, dealing with the trauma. He had cried that night, cried for a long time, and it had taken so much time for the feeling to pass. Salene remembered the day she fell down the stairs and cringed, it was the memory she hated the most and it hurt every time she remembered, but sometimes her mind played tricks and the memory came, shaking her to her core.
"I had, had an argument with Alice and ran away from her. I slipped at the top of the steps and fell. I was knocked out and the fall...it was the fall." Tears crept into Salene's eyes as she remembered the pain and the heartbreak she felt that morning when she woke and realised that her baby had gone. Ryan saw her eyes fill and enveloped her in a hug. She fell against him, grateful that there was finally someone there to comfort her. Ryan began to stroke her hair soothingly. He could feel himself begin to cry as he thought of his poor child. He remembered the joy he had felt when Salene had told him about the baby. Suddenly the pain came back, as if he had just been told about the baby. Before he could stop it he was crying himself. He held Salene tightly, scared to let go, as they both let out their grief over their lost child.