woman holding a walkie-talkie and earned a tongue-lashing for being late. James, Kyle, Tom and Viv mooched towards a man handing out Balaclavas and disposable gloves.
Sow we're finally all here,?the walkie-talkie woman shouted to the crowd, glowering at George, But on your gloves and take one hammer and one spray canister. I don't want any heroics, so attack one or two police vehicles each and then disperse into the fields. Bear in mind that some police cars have video cameras installed and recording at all times, so wear your headgear until you're clear of the action.
Tou can then abandon your mallets and sprayers, provided you're not dopey enough to get fingerprints on them, but gloves and Balaclavas will pick up traces of DNA, so take them home and destroy them.
Lastly, if any of you are arrested, do not speak to the police. Be civil, even if they provoke you, and ask to speak to a solicitor from Parker, Lane and Figgis. The Zebra Alliance will cover your legal costs, provided you don't cooperate with the police. Now, whatt the name of your solicitors??
Barker, Lane and Figgis,?the crowd murmured back.
And don't forget it,?walkie-talkie woman shouted.
The crowd pulled on gloves and Balaclavas before going outside and picking out hammers and pressurised bug sprayers from the rear compartment of a Volvo estate car. Fortunately for James and Kyle, quite a few activists had chickened out and there was equipment going spare.
Thatt in here??Kyle asked Viv, as he hooked a cylinder of pale blue liquid over his shoulder.
Tndustrial strength paint stripper,?Viv said. Nighly corrosive, highly flammable. Strips paint off metal in a flash. Also melts certain plastics and synthetic fabrics, including the ones they make car seat covers out of. Just make sure you don't get it on your skin.?
MK people,?walkie-talkie woman shouted. T just received the go signal. The cops are all lined up in their riot gear and our scout just spotted the monkey van turning off the motorway. Good luck and remember the golden rule: when in doubt, run like hell.?
A couple of activists cheered and Viv made a typically flamboyant warbling sound as activists headed away from the barn in all directions. James and Kyle jogged off behind Tom and Viv, but found George blocking their path.
TEl be speaking to the committee about you on Wednesday night,?he said angrily, looking up at Viv. Tou're a renegade and I can only see your attitude leading to serious problems for the Alliance.?
Viv raised his hand, as if he was going to swat George around the head. Aeorge, you're a tedious, gutless, pen-pushing little twit. I don't really care what you do, or what you say, so long as you stay out of my face.?
TeEl see if the committee feels the same way,?George said arrogantly, before bolting out of Vivt way and tripping over himself in the process.
Tou want to watch out,?Tom said to his brother, as they set off again. The committee love Georgie boy. You're gonna get kicked out of the Alliance if you're not careful.?
T'll an anarchist,?Viv said dismissively. T never should have joined anything with a committee in the first place.?
The four lads ran half a kilometre, staying behind the hedgerows until they reached a muddy farm entrance with three police vans and two cars parked up side by side. Theyr cased it on the way over, so they knew there were no cops about.
James felt a rush of excitement as they broke cover.
James raced across to a BMW motorway cruiser and took off a door mirror with the first swipe, then ran around knocking out the side windows. He took three swings at the windscreen, but failed to shatter the toughened glass.
Do the inside with your spray,?Tom shouted, as he and Kyle trashed the next car along.
James took the canister off his shoulder, poked the sprayer nozzle through a broken window and soaked the interior before squirting the corrosive liquid all over the white bodywork. He could hear more activists smashing cars up and down the road as he watched the paint on his target car bubbling up into thousands of tiny blisters.
He was planning a final squirt into the luggage compartment, but some kind of weird chemical reaction forced him back, as the melting interior plastics sent choking grey fumes spewing out through the broken windows.
As he backed off from the stench, a metallic boom erupted inside a van parked directly behind him and a ball of flame blasted open the back doors.
Lesus,?James gasped, wrapping his arms