Gas Rig Complex, North Sea
‘Hello?’
The voice echoed across the silent blue-grey light of pre-dawn.
‘Hello?’
Leona’s leg jerked. She couldn’t believe she’d actually fallen asleep. She turned on her side, propped herself up and looked over the top of the rusting hulk of the storage drum she’d been sheltering behind. There was a man on the walkway, about a third of the way across. He held a rag of white cloth in one hand.
‘Hello? Can I speak to your leader, Jennifer Sutherland?’ he called out.
The praetorians were all awake and crowded along the edge of the platform opposite - she could see flashes of their orange vests, the glint of gold chains here and there.
Next to her, Mum stood up.
‘Mum!’ hissed Leona. ‘Get down. It’s a trick!’
She ignored Leona, stepping out from behind cover. ‘I’m Jennifer,’ she replied.
Leona looked at Adam. Her face said can’t you stop her?
He gave her a shrug. Too late.
‘I’m Alan Maxwell, by the way!’ shouted the man. ‘Can you and I meet in the middle?’
Jenny stepped onto the walkway and slowly made her way a dozen yards along and finally stopped. ‘Just here is fine for me. I can hear you well enough.’
‘So.’ He shrugged and smiled. ‘This is a bit of a bloody mess, isn’t it?’
Jenny said nothing.
‘Thing is, it’s not exactly a stalemate. We’ve got a whole load of guns over here, and, well . . . you’ve got these,’ he said, holding up one of their improvised bra-slingshots. Some of the boys laughed at that. He scratched his salt and pepper beard. ‘So, if we have to come over there and get you it’s just that you’re going to annoy my lads even more if your lot decide to carry on throwing things at them on the way over.’
‘That’s exactly what you’re going to get if you do.’
Maxwell laughed. ‘I figured that. In fact, during the night I’ve had time to do some thinking. And you know what?’ He shook his head. ‘This is really very bloody stupid! That’s what it is. Stupid. Fighting like this, when, let’s face it, we’re probably the two largest organised groups left in Britain!’
He laughed and took another step forward. ‘I mean, we’ve got to rebuild, haven’t we? Make Britain Great again.’
‘We were doing just fine before you attacked us.’
‘And we were doing okay in London,’ replied Maxwell. ‘But, you know what? Your group and my group are what’s left. There’s no bloody government. In fact, you and me . . . I suppose we’re the government, aren’t we? It’s down to us to do something about the country. Get it on its feet again!’
‘And this is how you go about doing that?’ she replied, her voice echoing across the stillness. It was surprisingly quiet. The sea was chastened like a child scolded, lapping softly at the legs a hundred feet beneath them. The endless North Sea breeze just a soft flutter.
He shrugged apologetically. ‘No, maybe you’re right, Jennifer. Which is why I’m standing out here like a right lemon.’
‘So?’
‘So . . . why don’t we call an end to the fighting? Pool our resources. I’ve got about eighty lads here with me, and another one hundred men and women who’ll be arriving soon. And we’ve got barges stuffed full of supplies. Together, your lot and mine, that’s, what? Nearly a thousand people?’ He spread his hands. ‘You know what I call that?’
‘What?’
‘A bloody good start.’
‘And of course you’ll be in charge,’ said Jenny.
‘No,’ he shrugged. ‘Shit, you can be if you want! I’m just trying to make a deal here. There’s been enough bloodshed, for fuck’s sake.’
Jenny looked past him at the boys gathered around the entrance to the walkway. ‘And those boys?’
He turned to look at them. ‘They’ll do what they’re told. Alan knows best.’ A fresh breeze tugged at his anorak, flipping the hood up. He smoothed it back down. ‘Look, we’ve got loads of goodies to share and you’ve got oil or gas, you know? We’re both bringing something to the party—’
‘Oh, we don’t have oil or gas. That’s for sure.’
Maxwell’s eyebrows arched. He looked perplexed.
Jenny laughed drily. ‘Oh, I get it . . . I see,’ she shook her head. ‘That’s what you came for, is it?’ She nodded towards the drilling platform. ‘You thought we were pumping stuff out of the sea?’
Maxwell said nothing.
‘Take a look,’ she said. ‘The drilling platform . . . see?’
Maxwell turned to look, craning his neck one way then the other to get a look past the