Without warning

‘I had this one swept fifteen minutes ago,’ he said quietly, pulling the door closed behind them.

‘You what?’

‘Found this…’ Jed pulled a small electronic device from his breast pocket. ‘Don’t worry, it’s been disabled.’

Kip stared at the tiny piece of technology as hackles rose on his back. ‘Sons of bitches.’

‘Nah, amateurs, Kip,’ Culver corrected him. ‘Rank fucking amateurs playing at big boys’ games. Now, come to the window. I want you to see the sort of view you miss when you work indoors all the time.’

The chief engineer followed Culver to the window and looked down on his city. It was a relatively clear morning, the first in a while. A few grey clouds scudded out near the mountains to the east, but otherwise the sky was clear, save for two army helicopters holding position over the bridges across Lake Washington. And then he saw them – a sea of colour, a teeming, seething mass of humanity, streaming onto the bridges and heading for the city centre.

‘What the hell?’

The crowd had already swept past a small army roadblock at the eastern end of the bridge and were beginning to string together a long procession that took up every available lane.

‘The wishes of the people, Kip. I didn’t think they were being heard downstairs either. So I invited them all here to have their say.’

The engineer was speechless.

‘You’re a local – how long do you think it will take them to walk that distance, Kip? To get them here, I mean, beating on the doors of the Municipal Tower?’

Kipper shook his head. ‘Not long, I guess. If they’re allowed.’

Jed Culver snorted. ‘If they’re allowed! What, did I wake up in Soviet Russia this morning? They’re American citizens down there, Kip. Your neighbours and friends. Nobody tells them what they can or can’t do. And sure as shit, nobody tells them how they’re gonna govern themselves.’

Kipper pressed his head to the glass, which felt cool against his sweating brow. ‘How did you do this, Jed, without anyone knowing?’ he asked quietly.

‘Without Blackstone knowing, you mean? I had some friends – some of them friends of yours, actually.’

‘Hey buddy, sorry to keep dropping in like this.’

‘Hello, sweetie!’

Kipper spun around to find Barney standing at the office door. And next to him was Barb, holding Suzie on one hip.

‘Holy crap, Barn, they’ll fucking lock you up, man! And Barb…’

‘Daddy said the rude word!’ squealed his daughter.

He pulled up, realising he’d just dropped an F-bomb in front of his six-year-old child. Damn.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Daddy shouldn’t have done that, darlin’. It’s just that he was a little… surprised. And kind of upset.’ The bomb diffused, Kip turned to the two adult visitors. ‘So, what’s going on here?’

Barney was peering out of the doorway and back along the corridor, where his former co-workers had begun to gather and point at the slow-moving crowd snaking across the bridges. One or two saw him and waved. He smiled back before returning his attention to his old friend.

‘I told you last night, Kip, that there were a lot of people involved in the Resistance. Some whackjobs, for sure – you know, commies and anarchists, just like you hear all the time – but a shit-load more decent folk. Guys who used to work for the media, the telecom companies, the government. Moms and dads.’

Barbara nodded as she carefully lowered Suzie to the ground. ‘You run along, princess,’ she said. ‘Find some paper to draw on. See if you can find Ronnie, she’ll help you.’

‘I like Ronnie!’ Suzie cried before dashing out of the office.

Kip stared at his wife. It was as though he didn’t recognise her. ‘You too, Barb? You were part of this?’

‘I’m sorry, Kip, yes. Well, I’m not sorry for being part of it, but I am sorry I had to keep it from you.’

‘But why?’ he asked plaintively. ‘Couldn’t you trust me?’

She smiled sadly. ‘It wasn’t safe, honey. If you knew I was helping Barney and the others, how could you have come in here every day and faced off Blackstone? You’re a lot of things, Kip, but you’re not a liar. You couldn’t have done it.’

Kipper turned on the lawyer. His head was an angry swirling mess of emotions. ‘You knew about this, Jed? About my family being involved?’

Culver nodded. For once he wasn’t smiling. ‘I’ve had contact with a number of opposition cells,’ he admitted. ‘Your wife’s was one.’

‘You had a cell?’ he asked Barbara. His voice rose with incredulity.

Barbara sniffed. ‘You make it sound like a spy movie, Kip. It was just me and some of the moms from school, and some of our friends. People I could trust.’

‘Jesus Christ…’

‘They’re down there, Kip,’ she added, pointing out of the window. ‘They’re coming. Because they have to.’