As predicted, the Kings soon came again. The onslaught united the shell-shocked young and the battle-weary old. It took every weapon they had and every barricade they could build to keep them out. The residents pulled the automatic guns down from the rooftops and, to their surprise and disappointment, the badly rusted weapons contained no bullets and were in no fit state to fire. They had just been for show.
Olsen and his team had restored life support to all the buildings in Waverley. When the oxygen canisters ran out for some, they took refuge in the nearest properties and acted as spotters in the upstairs rooms. Others used the high vantage point to attack with Buzz Guns.
The battle raged for a day. Waverley lost two thousand good men and women. Some young were part of the casualty list. Eventually, the Kings’ lack of oxygen supplies compromised their ability to fight on the ground, and their vehicle numbers lessened.
The residents had reinforced the perimeter where the vehicles had tried to break through. When the Kings backed off, they relocated their efforts to protecting the gate.
Ben had never seen the Waverley residents fight as hard to protect a place they despised and he understood why. They had never thought a workable plan existed to fight off the Kings. But a new city-wide strategy, being implemented by the Indigenes and Olsen and his team, had given them fresh hope.
On the second day, Sal, Jenny and a few volunteers had travelled back to the Agostini mansion to collect the bodies of their fallen. They had reported the mansion abandoned, except for the Indigenes who had promised to stay. Sal and Jenny had brought back those who wanted refuge to Waverley. The high-walled neighbourhoods were the only safe places right now. Jenny had promised the Indigenes their freedom when it was all over.
It was a journey Ben could not make, so he’d waited in Central Square for the car carrying the body of his brother to arrive. People had milled around the underground movement’s vehicle, removing sheet-covered bodies and laying them out on the square beside those who’d been killed in Waverley.
There, Kevin claimed his rightful place beside his grandfather. Albert should have been buried the day before, but Ben had ordered nobody to touch him until Kevin had been brought home. He’d spent the night in the tavern by Albert’s side, holding his hand and telling him all the things about his life he’d been afraid to reveal before.
After Albert had been moved from his bed to Central Square, Ben had spent a restless night at Sal’s on her sofa among greasy generator parts. He’d never felt so lost or alone.
Now, Ben stood facing Waverley’s dead. Another family had been ripped away from him. What was he supposed to do now?
Sal and Isobel joined him. He didn’t react when Isobel looped her arm around his stiff shoulder.
‘Don’t mourn them, Ben. Albert and Kevin were brave. They both died doing what they could to change things here.’
His eyes were bone-dry. He had cried so much for both yesterday. ‘They didn’t deserve to die, Isobel. Not like this.’
‘No, they didn’t,’ said Sal. ‘But Albert was an old man and had lived his life.’ Her voice wavered as she spoke. ‘The old bastard wouldn’t hear of any pity. But Kevin was too young for this.’
He could tell Sal had been crying, but she held her chin up and pinched her thin lips together. She would never let Ben see how much she hurt. She and Albert were so alike.
Jenny took a break from coordinating the efforts in the square and walked over to Sal. ‘The mansion was empty, but a car tailed us on the way out. We were shot at a few times. The residents are holding off the new wave at the gates for now. But we must bury our dead now and get back to securing this place. We won’t keep Waverley for long if we can’t get our hands on more weapons. Greyson has sent out some of our people to raid the storage units. The medical facility has turned off the life support to all the criminal strongholds in the New York area.’
Sal’s strong hand gripped Ben’s shoulder. ‘Give the lad a moment longer to mourn his grandfather and brother.’
Jenny looked around her. ‘I don’t mean to sound callous but more factions will be here shortly. We don’t have time to stand around.’ She looked at Ben. ‘I’m sorry. We can’t wait any longer. We must bury them quickly to prevent disease from spreading. There won’t be time for a long goodbye.’
Ben stepped away from the three women intent on controlling his life. He knelt down beside Kevin’s body and peeled back the sheet. Kevin’s eyes were closed, his face drained of blood. His skin was ice-cold. ‘You weren’t the best brother in the world, but you were the only one I had. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.’
He pulled back the sheet that covered Albert and kissed his cold forehead. A lump caught in his throat. He’d said all he wanted to say to Albert last night.
He took a few deep breaths and covered their faces. Then he stood up.
This was it. He would never see them again. He was on his own once more. Except this time, nobody had abandoned him. In his beat-up world, he’d found a family in Sal and Isobel.
He nodded at Jenny. ‘I’m ready.’
☼
The residents—two to each body—hoisted the dead on their shoulders and carried them to the grounds of the old school. Ben kept his distance and stopped just short of the school walls. Several pits had hastily been dug, barely deep enough to cover the dead. It seemed fitting that Albert would remain in the neighbourhood he’d fought so hard to protect.
An hour later, when the last of the dead had been buried, Ben stood over the mound with the remains of his family. He thought of how he could honour them. Something came to mind and he smiled.
‘What’s that smile for?’ said Sal.
‘I was thinking about opening up the tavern.’
‘On a normal day, I would tend to agree. But our priority is to protect this place.’
Ben didn’t want to give up on the idea. ‘I mean, let’s throw a party, drink the place dry. Give all the alcohol away. I hate how restricted our lives have been. Let everyone feel like they’re not in the middle of a warzone. Just for a day.’
Sal thought about it, then nodded. ‘I think your grandfather would approve. But how about we wait until we’ve got a handle on our situation? Let’s call it our victory party.’
Ben nodded, just as a group of men ran up to the school. ‘The next wave is here and they’re armed and aggressive. We’ll need everyone at the gate.’
‘There aren’t enough canisters to go around,’ said Jenny to the men. ‘Tell the snipers to stay indoors, and the spotters to go high. We’ll need eyes on the streets, beyond the gate. We’ll use hand signals to communicate with each other.’
Sal squeezed Ben’s shoulder. ‘Let’s go protect our home.’