Truancy Origins (33 page)

“It was nothing. The Enforcers don't patrol this district much anyway,” Chris said as he took the money.

Chris could barely contain his elation. Contrary to what he had said, he knew that no less than ten Enforcer patrol squads were on their way to surround them right now—much more than enough to subdue the four Truants and their leader. Everything was going perfectly according to plan. Chris made sure to tell the Enforcers to wait until they reached this point to attack, so he had even been able to collect his reward from Zen.

Chris wondered why Rothenberg was so determined to capture the boy alive. He was certainly nothing special; the dimwitted fool had no idea what was about to happen to him, and here he was,
paying
Chris to sell him out. The very idea alone sent shivers of joy running down Chris' spine.

“Well now, since I'm in charge of the guards, I think that they should all have a good look around for danger, just in case,” Chris suggested, glancing over at Zen for approval. “I'll stay here, though, of course.”

“It's your call,” Zen said lazily. “You
are
in charge, after all.”

“Go on, scram,” Chris said, shooing the other Truants away. “Check out the buildings or other streets or something.”

As soon as the other Truants disappeared from sight, Chris glanced over at Zen, who seemed to be admiring a building over to the side. Chris grinned. This would be easier than he thought. Drawing a pistol out from the pocket in which he had stowed it after Zen gave it to him at the start of their trek, Chris quietly approached Zen from behind.

Chuckling slightly at the irony of using a weapon Zen had provided against Zen himself, Chris lunged, seizing Zen in a headlock with one arm while he brought his pistol to the side of the boy's head with the other.

“What're you doing, Chris?” Zen asked, sounding much calmer than Chris had expected him to.

“Don't ask, I don't owe you any explanations,” Chris spat. “The Enforcers are on their way. Just sit tight and don't make any trouble, and I won't have to kill you here.”

“So, you sold us out,” Zen observed.

“Sold you out?” Chris laughed. “Sorry to break it to you kid, but you're a joke. Rebelling against the adults? It's ridiculous, you can't possibly think that anyone believes in that nonsense.
Anyone
would sell you out, if they had the chance and the right price.”

“That's really what you think, is it?” Zen asked mildly.

“Yeah, it is,” Chris said. “Where do you think everyone else is? They'll cut and run the moment they hear the sirens. It's over. This silly game is
over.
”

“Well, I don't know about that,” Zen said, sounding almost amused. “There seem to still be a few players left.”

It was then that Chris saw them. Truants, emerging from their hiding places in dark alleys, empty buildings, even a manhole. The four bodyguards had also returned, and altogether there couldn't have been less than two dozen armed Truants standing there, surrounding him, glaring at him with grim expressions. Chris felt a shiver travel down his spine as he spotted Noni among them, her icy blue eyes seeming to pierce right through him. Chris quickly forced a laugh and tightened his grip on the trigger.

“You're all fools!” Chris shouted at the silent Truants. “The Enforcers are going to slaughter you if you don't drop those weapons! Stop, got it? Stop!”

His words didn't seem to impress the Truants at all. Instead they began to close in on him.

“Stop! I'll shoot your leader!” Chris threatened. “I mean it, stop!”

Zen laughed, and Chris' blood ran cold.

“By the way, Chris, I believe I forgot to mention that the gun I gave you isn't loaded.”

Chris froze, then pulled the trigger in desperation. Nothing happened. Frantic now, Chris pulled it again and again, to no avail. Zen smiled, then drove his elbow backwards into Chris's gut, knocking the traitorous Truant backwards and to the ground.

“How did you know?” Chris raged. “Who told you?”

“You're entirely too predictable, my friend, and far too greedy for your own good,” Zen said as the Truants closed in on Chris. “Take this filth somewhere where he won't be able to embarrass us any further, and then dispose of him.”

Gabriel and Frank stepped forward to drag the traitor off, looks of intense satisfaction on both their faces. As he was taken away, Chris shouted “Stop! Just stop!” at the top of his lungs until Frank punched him in the face, silencing him. Moments after the three were out of sight, a single gunshot rang out, marking a truly ignominious death. The ugly display concluded, Zen turned around to face the rest of the gathered Truants.

“The Enforcers will be here any minute now,” Zen warned. “How are the upper preparations?”

“Everyone is in place as you specified,” the Truant named Amal said. “We're on the rooftops along every possible street they can come at us from.”

“Ground support?” Zen asked.

“Aaron's explosive traps are set and we're all in place.”

“Very well then,” Zen said, rubbing his hands together as sirens suddenly began to sound from nearby. “Let us prepare to greet our guests.”

The Truants tensed, gripping their weapons tightly. Zen smiled confidently. Now was the moment of truth.

“At last, our war is about to begin.”

 

H
eh, that definitely looks like trouble,” Red said, leaning around the corner of the alley as a volley of gunshots rang out. “Maybe following the sirens wasn't such a good idea after all.”

“I can't believe things have gotten this bad,” Umasi muttered as another explosion boomed in the distance. “It's like a war zone down here.”

“That's exactly what it is,” Red agreed. “But I gotta hand it to your brother—he sure caught those Enforcers with their pants around their ankles.”

His curiosity piqued, Umasi peered out from behind the cover of the alley, and caught a glimpse of a flaming Enforcer patrol car belching black smoke as uniformed bodies lay scattered across the ground. One struggled to rise, but more loud gunshots sounded, and he dropped back down, completely motionless. The sight made Umasi sick, and he withdrew his head with disgust on his face.

“This . . . this is just
senseless,
” Umasi breathed in disbelief. “How can he do this?”

“Best ask him yourself, eh?” Red said, trying not to pay too much attention to what was going on not too far from where they sat. He had seen plenty of death and murder in his time, and yet this
still
disturbed him.

“Yeah, but where is he?” Umasi muttered. “He could be anywhere in this mess. He might not even be here at all—these could just be some of his cronies.”

“This is his district,” Red said. “I'm sure he'd defend it himself, right?”

“I suppose he's that kind of guy,” Umasi allowed as another explosion and some distant screams reached his ears. “But that doesn't help us find him.”

“Maybe we should split up,” Red suggested. “We'll find him faster if we both look in different places.”

“It's too dangerous.” Umasi shook his head. “There might be some trigger-happy Truants out there, and the Enforcers will
definitely
shoot you on sight.”

“You can take care of yourself, and I've been giving Enforcers the slip for years,” Red said. “I've spent too much time running away from things. Now maybe I can do some good. I mean, your brother would hear me out before shooting me, right?”

“I . . . don't think he'd kill an unarmed kid without asking questions,” Umasi admitted.

“Then what's the problem?” Red asked.

Umasi thought about it for a moment, and then nodded.

“All right, let's go,” Umasi said. “At this rate we're going have to stop him as soon as possible.”

“Good luck!” Umasi heard Red calling as he plunged down another alley.

Steeling himself for what was to come, Umasi proceeded down a different alleyway, hoping to circumvent the entire battlefield. The passage he chose was dark and cramped, and with each explosion bits of debris would shake loose from the long-abandoned buildings. Occasionally he was able to catch glimpses of what was going on through passages that led to the street, and none of what he saw was pretty. From what he could gather, the Enforcers had attempted to surround the Truancy on all slides, dividing up their forces in the process. Apparently the Truants had placed explosives on the roads to blow up the cars as the Truants picked off any survivors. Umasi was beginning to wonder where all the Truants were when he turned a corner and abruptly found himself facing one who was busy shooting down a side alley.

“Hey, who're—” the Truant began, noticing Umasi.

He never finished the question. Umasi lunged, tackling the boy to the ground before he could bring his weapon to bear. He punched the Truant between the eyes, stunning him. Just in case, Umasi grabbed the pistol and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Footsteps echoed behind him as more Truants came to investigate the disturbance. Umasi set off at a run, diving around an alley corner as soon as he got the chance. When the footsteps drew close, Umasi sprang out from his hiding place, tripping one Truant and slamming his elbow into the oncoming face of another.

“You ain't one of us!” the Truant cried as he stumbled backwards, clutching his face.

“Correct,” Umasi agreed, punching him in the stomach.

“You with the Enforcers?” the other Truant demanded from the ground.

“Nah,” Umasi said, turning to face the questioner. “I'm just a maverick.”

In the narrow and gloomy alley, neither of the Truants were willing to use their guns for fear of hitting each other. Instead, the one who'd tripped scrambled back to his feet, seizing a loose brick as he rose. Umasi ducked as the Truant attempted to swing the brick at him, and then punched the Truant in the belly, causing him to double over. Umasi seized the boy's shoulder with one hand, and then shoved his back with the other, sending him flying forward into his comrade. At that moment, the first Truant Umasi had encountered came into view, apparently having regained consciousness. The boy jumped over his fallen allies, and Umasi braced himself for the attack.

Just then another massive explosion shook the ground, and this time there was a great crumbling sound from above. In spite of themselves, Umasi and the Truants looked up just in time to see a number of bricks shake loose.

“Oh shi—” one of the Truants began, just before a brick struck him on the head.

Umasi leapt backwards, avoiding the rest of the masonry as it came tumbling down onto the screaming Truants. For a moment Umasi feared that they might be dead, but one by one they began to stir and groan under the bricks. Satisfied, Umasi turned to proceed down the passage.

But as Umasi rounded another corner, he found himself staring at a dead end. Gritting his teeth, he realized that he didn't have any other choice; he'd have to brave the battle in the streets if he wanted to have any hope of finding Zen. Backtracking, Umasi leapt forwards just as a particularly deafening explosion went off. A moment later, Umasi's eyes widened as an Enforcer car was sent flying through the air towards him, crash-landing against the opening he'd been approaching. It burst into flames that leapt out towards Umasi, who quickly retreated as he felt the heat on his face, his path thoroughly blocked.

Running back to the next closest side alley, Umasi found this one blessedly free of flaming vehicles. He plunged out into the open, blinking for a moment as he adjusted to the sudden light, and then found himself standing in the midst of utter chaos. Wreckages of other cars already littered the streets, huge plumes of smoke billowing out from their metal carcasses. Enforcers had taken cover behind these smoking wrecks, firing at Truants who were ducking in and out of alleys and building windows. Without hesitation Umasi darted towards a nearby wreck, coughing as he was enveloped by its fumes. As he slipped behind the car, hoping to use it as cover as he advanced, he found himself crouching beside a terrified and coughing Enforcer.

“Wh-who are you kids?” the Enforcer sputtered at Umasi, groping around on the ground for his fallen pistol.

“Oh, I'm not with them,” Umasi said, gesturing in the Truants' direction.

“Y-you're not?”

“No.” Umasi shook his head, and for a moment the Enforcer looked hopeful. “But I'm not with you people either,” Umasi added apologetically.

With that, Umasi shoved the man to the ground and kicked him in the temple. Seizing the pistol that lay a few feet away, Umasi disposed of the weapon inside the smoking car. Then a shot rang out, and Umasi could feel the wind as a bullet passed right by his ear. Turning to see a large silhouette advancing upon him through the smoke, Umasi seized the fallen Enforcer's truncheon and launched himself over the car and to the safety of its other side in one fluid motion.

More shots rang out, but only slammed into the car as Umasi crouched behind it. As the silhouette came into view around the corner of the wreck, Umasi lunged, swinging the truncheon at the figure's head before it got a chance to see him in the smoke. The man staggered back, and Umasi swung again, this time hitting a kneecap, causing his victim, who Umasi could now see was a uniformed Enforcer, to fall to the ground. Then Umasi was off like a bullet, dashing out of the smoke cloud and over to the next car.

Behind him he heard an explosion go off, but not like any of the ones the Truancy had set off. Umasi looked over his shoulder and saw that the car he had just fled had combusted, the Enforcer apparently having fired a stray shot into its gas tank. Hoping that the man was okay in spite of everything, Umasi dived behind the next patrol car, this one remarkably intact despite having crashed into a fire hydrant. The hydrant was spraying water high into the air, causing a faint rainbow effect to cut through the smoke and air. Umasi peered through the car window, and grimly realized that its occupants had been either knocked out or killed by the crash.