And I have to say, as I look around the room, that some of them I wouldn’t miss, but some I would. I don’t want Annalise to be swept away. I want her to come and stand with me.
It’s not Celia but Van who starts the meeting. She says that the camp is having problems. There are nearly two hundred people here now but few can fight and they all need to eat. Basically there are lots of people and not enough of anything else. Certainly food and water is a problem that everyone is aware of, and sanitation too. There aren’t enough tents or blankets. Torches and even cups are in short supply.
Celia explains, “The foragers will be obtaining all the items we are short of in the next few days. They will go to buy them from fain shops as before, but we’ve had an extra twenty people arrive and we must always be careful when we leave camp.”
That seems to keep people happy but someone complains about the food: no fruit, no variety, not enough meat, not enough veg, and on and on. And then the other complaints start to escalate. Why is nothing happening? Why is Soul still in power? Why is it taking so long? Why aren’t we helping the White Witches who’ve been imprisoned by Soul? And I realize that another problem is that most of these people have nothing to do all day but whinge and complain and gossip.
Van refuses to answer. She says, “That isn’t the purpose of this meeting.”
Then it’s Greatorex’s turn to explain that the fighters are short of weapons, and particularly Hunter bullets. She says, “But we get by.” And I’m grateful that she doesn’t look at Marcus as she says that. What she means is that if it wasn’t for Marcus none of our raids would have succeeded, at least not without casualties.
Now Celia takes over. She tells us that we have learned the location of a significant Hunter cache containing weapons, other equipment, and food. It’s an opportunity for us to improve our situation significantly and deal a blow to the Hunters.
“There are just sixteen Hunters guarding the cache. Six of them look experienced, the rest are trainees. Greatorex will lead the fighters in at dawn. All foragers and anyone else who can walk and carry must be ready to go and clear everything they can as soon as the fighting is over. Everyone from the camp must help.”
Annalise will be one of the foragers and in the past I hoped she wouldn’t see any of the battle but now part of me thinks, Let her see the horror of it all because that’s what it is. It’s all very well Celia saying the rebels have the moral high ground but really there is none in war. It’s all shit.
Connor
Greatorex leads us into the cut. It’s a relief to be away from all those people and all the complaining and into the quiet of the forest. We’re running through trees at the other end in no time. It’s a two-hour jog to the Hunter camp. All the foragers and everyone else are coming close behind but they’ll walk and will arrive well after the fighting is over.
We slow near the camp. It’s at the end of an unpaved track through the forest. There are two trucks parked and a number of small tents that look like they are where the Hunters sleep. There is also one large gray tent, more like a marquee. In front of that are a couple of wooden crates stacked up.
It’s just getting light. There are two Hunters on guard but already another is appearing out of one of the small tents.
Greatorex takes it all in quickly and gives instructions. There are sixteen Hunters and sixteen of us. We’re a good fighting unit. We have a few more trainees but they’re serious and good. Sameen, Claudia, and Olivia are all excellent. We fan out; we know what to do. I’m still partnered with Nesbitt. But we know each other’s ways now. It works.
Marcus goes invisible and attacks first.
I look out for runners. There are two. I go for the fastest first and by the time I’ve caught the second runner the fighting’s over. I check both the runners for tattoos but find none and I’m about to head back to the others when I realize there’s a hissing noise in my head. I’m not usually thinking about this when I’m fighting because all the Hunters have mobile phones. But this noise is strong, like many phones hissing at once.
I head back to the Hunter camp, expecting the hissing to get stronger. I think it must be something there. Perhaps one of the crates has phones in it.
As I get back, though, the hissing hasn’t really changed. I can’t work it out. There are phones here but if each Hunter has just one that’s only sixteen. The hissing in my head is louder than that. I want to ask Marcus but I can’t see him. I ask Nesbitt where he is.
“Dunno, mate. But look at this lovely loot.” He’s almost dancing round two wooden cases open on the ground, full of guns. “And there’s more in here,” he says, going inside the large gray tent.