Horsemen's War (The Rebellion Chronicles #3) - Steve McHugh Page 0,27
civilians who had congregated in the foyer. Layla was trying to block them out, as they were all talking at once.
“Right,” Chloe said, with more than a little irritation in her voice. “Everyone needs to shut up. You’re all talking at once, and we need to get organized.”
An elderly woman opened her mouth to say something, and Tego let out a slow growl, so she immediately closed it again.
“Residents, back to wherever you were,” Judgement shouted. “We’ll come talk to you soon.”
The uninjured female police officer took everyone away, while Piper continued to work on the officer with the head wound.
“Got hit with glass,” the officer said.
“I need some tweezers,” Piper said. “A medical kit. This needs stitches.”
“We’ve got some upstairs,” the male officer said.
Everyone went to the next floor, where there was a foyer that was smaller but similarly decorated to the lobby below.
“What happened?” Layla asked.
“KOA,” the female officer said as Piper opened a medical kit and started removing the items she needed.
“You can hear the explosions from further north,” the male officer said. “A lot of people are scared. We took residents from this entire block into this building, as it’s the easiest to defend.”
Layla nodded and looked out of the window. It was good to defend, plenty of visibility to the sidewalk, and if they had snipers on high floors in all three buildings, anything below was a kill zone.
“Is there any way for me to get into that adjacent building from here?” Layla asked.
A middle-aged man with a bandage on his arm stepped forward from the rapidly increasing crowd that had gathered at the edge of the foyer. “You can get across from the roof,” he said. “I’m the caretaker for these buildings.”
“Show me,” she said. “Judgement, you want to come?”
Judgement nodded.
Chloe joined them, and along with the uninjured female officer and the driver of the APC, they ran through the building to the maintenance elevator, took it to the top floor, and then used the caretaker’s keys to open the door to the roof.
Layla smelled burning the second the door opened. She knew it was in the distance, but it was strong enough to carry through the air.
“Is this locked all the time?” Judgement asked as everyone arrived on the roof.
“All residents have their own key to the roof,” the caretaker said, pointing to several separate gardens that adorned the rooftop. “They like to come up here and relax.”
“But you need two different keys to get from this building into another?” Layla asked.
The caretaker nodded.
Layla walked to the edge of the roof and looked down at the two-foot gap between buildings. Someone had built a small metal bridge across it.
“The residents wanted to be able to talk to others without having to jump,” the caretaker said with a smile.
Layla crossed the span and ran to the edge of the other building, looking down over the sidewalk below. It was still empty, but the fires in the distance were getting closer.
“They’re burning it all,” the cop said in horror.
Layla nodded.
“It’s not the tactic I’d have employed,” Judgement said. “The problem with burning everything as you go is that you can’t retreat through fire if you encounter resistance. And there’s nowhere to hole up and regroup. They clearly don’t expect to be forced back.”
“They’re heading this way,” Layla said as there was a ping in her ear. She tapped the communication device.
“Layla,” Jinayca said.
“Jinayca,” Layla said with a smile. “I’d love to chat, but I think we’re about to have company.”
“That’s why I called,” Jinayca said. “I’m working at the base in Lafayette Square; we have satellite images of the bastards heading your way. Layla, this is a big group. Maybe a thousand KOA. All heavily armed. They’re dragging people from their homes and executing them in the streets.”
“They need to be stopped, then,” Layla said.
“We’re sending reinforcements your way,” Jinayca said. “But the KOA will be on your doorstep before they get there.”
“Thanks for the info, Jinayca,” Layla said.
“Take care, Layla,” she said, and the comms went dead.
“How bad is it?” the APC driver asked.
“How many weapons do you have in that vehicle of yours?” Layla asked.
“A few rifles, pistols, a sniper rifle . . . bits and pieces,” the driver said.
“Good, we’re going to need all of it. We need all of these doors boarded up and that APC positioned down there. I want anyone who knows how to shoot up here targeting these assholes when they come.”