Kingdom: The Complete Series (55 page)

“
Jesus,”
whispers Donald.

“
Ok,”
announces the Trespasser. “We fall back. Regroup.”

“
Surely
we could try something else?” asks Stacy. “I mean, if Jamie saw what went
wrong, then we could change it? What if Donald -”

Jamie finishes her
sentence. “If Donald used his power? We tried it. Didn't work.”

“
Damn
it.”

“
What
about him?” asks Cathy, pointing to Gregor's limp form, propped against the
wall.

“
We
can't keep him prisoner,” says Mark. “He's strong enough that it took all of us
to beat him – and he nearly took some of us with him.”

“
Help
me up, Don,” whispers Jamie, and Donald helps him to his feet.

Jamie limps over to
Gregor, and looks down at him.

“
This
guy is like, one of the King's lieutenants, right?”

“
Seems
so,” says Mark. “He was in charge of all of this.”

“
And
he was the one who nearly killed you before, right? At the Gardens?”

“
Yeah.”

“
So
he helped trap me and Trespasser One in that prison? Nearly killed us all? Ok.”

He draws the revolver
and checks it: loaded.

“
Hey,
mate, what are -” begins Mark.

“
The
King killed all my friends,” says Jamie. “This is
barely
justice.”

Without hesitating,
Jamie shoots Gregor in the head. He spasms and twitches, a sudden spurt of
blood leaving the hole in his greasy-haired skull. Then silence. The squad are
quiet behind him.

“
Jesus
Christ
Jamie -” starts Cathy.

“
Good
riddance,” says Trespasser One, and leads them to the stairs. “We couldn't have
kept him prisoner.”

“
So
that's how we roll now?” asks Stacy. “We just kill people?”

“
We're
at war, Stace,” says Mark. “I don't like it either but he'd have done the same
to us.”

“
Then
let's go the full way and kill the King too,” she says.

“
Not
today,” says Mark.

“
We
come all the way out here just to let the King win anyway?”

“
No,”
says Mark, stopping next to her as the squad moves out. “We came here to stop
him. Apparently, we die trying. Better to live and fight another day, hm?”

She folds her arms. “I
guess.”

“
Then
come on. Back to the safehouse.”

“
And
what? We just let the whole Kingdom thing happen?”

“
No,
Stace,” he sighs. “We stop it. Just not here. Not now.”

“
I
don't want to run away a second time.”

“
We're
not running away. We're... like, retreating -”

“
Running
away.”

“
Stace,
it's that, or die.”

“
Fine,”
she sighs. “But this isn't over.”

“
On
the contrary,” says Mark as they walk down the stairs behind the rest of the
squad. “I have a feeling things are just getting started.”

They follow the group
down the stairs, past a floor riddled with bulletholes, and out the door into
the fresh air.

“
Cool
cliché man,” says Stacy.

“
Hey,
don't ask me to be a superhero then complain when I start spouting one liners.”

“
You
should totally shout 'check-mate' when you punch the King.”

“
I
think I've done that once already.”

“
Oh
god,
really
?”

“
Maybe.
Can't remember. I've been drunk almost every time I've met him.”

“
Oh
right, yeah. I keep forgetting that.”

Chloe raises her head
from the bank of computers as the squad, tattered and weary, stumble into the
gloom of the safehouse.

“
You
missed the broadcast,” she says, brushing her blonde hair out of her face. “It
went out twenty minutes ago.”

“
We
know,” says the Trespasser, sitting his shotgun by a camp bed and sitting down
on the edge of it, taking off his mask and itching the scarred half of his
face. “Give me an update, what have we got?”

“
Well,
the King gave his ultimatum – the Kingdom becomes official, in his words, at
sunrise. Before then anybody who wants to leave the city centre is free to.”

“
Is
anybody leaving?”

“
Dribs
and drabs, over the Kingston bridge, out via smaller roads and the motorways.
The King's men are apparently stationed there, but they aren't stopping people
leaving.”

The others rest
themselves on camp beds and take stock, whilst the Trespasser ruffles his
sweat-drenched hair and approaches Chloe.

“
You
said dribs and drabs? How many we talking?”

“
A
few hundred in total, I'd guess?”

He gives her a confused
frown. “Is that all?”

“
There
aren't a lot of people left in the city centre to be honest, are there?”

Mark lets out a heavy
sigh, getting their attention. “She's right. The Destroyer's attack wiped out a
lot of the city centre – and most of the other inhabitants were students or
people who worked here. No reason for them to stay if their classrooms and
workplaces were all destroyed.”

The Trespasser shrugs.
“That doesn't make sense. Why would the King want to rule a ghost town?”

“
This
is just the start. He'll expand his rule over time, trust me.”

The Trespasser takes
off his gloves and massages some life back into his hands, staring over Chloe's
shoulder at the row of monitors.

“
What
has the response been so far?”

“
The
prime minister made a statement, basically saying that we're going to do
something
but that he's not sure what yet.”

Mark laughs. “He
actually said that?”

“
In
as many words, yeah. Oh, and the UN have said they won't recognise the King's
right to govern, or whatever.”

“
Like
he cares,” says Mark.

“
Exactly,”
says the Trespasser. “Authority is backed by force, and power. The King has
enough of both to enact his authority. Doesn't matter what the politicians say;
he's in charge now. No word on a military response?”

“
It's
been talked about a lot,” says Chloe, “but no. Nothing solid.”

“
Good.
That would be a complete disaster. The King would tear an invasion to pieces
with his own hands.”

“
There's
already an uproar – the news has gotten out about the police. Wiped out as far
as the area around the city centre is concerned. Hundreds of officers dead, and
the government aren't responding with force.”

“
Force
isn't going to work anymore,” says Mark.

“
So
what's the plan?” asks Chloe. “I mean, we have to do something.”

“
We
do,” says the Trespasser. “I have a feeling the Agency will be contacting me
soon.”

Mark folds his arms. “I
thought you left the Agency?”

“
I
did,” he pulls an old, clunky mobile phone from a pouch and waves it. “They've
got my number, though. Chances are they'll want our help. You never
really
leave
the Agency.”

Mark looks past them,
to where the rest of the squad are perched on camp beds, chatting amongst
themselves. Jamie sits apart from the group, hands clasped in front of his
face, staring at the ground.

“
Give
me a minute,” says Mark, and leaves Chloe and the Trespasser poring over maps
and numbers.

Jamie doesn't look up
as Mark sits down opposite him – his eyes are unfocused, as though he's lost in
thought, fingers steepled in front of his nose.

“
You
ok, man?”

No response from Jamie.

“
Mate?”
Mark snaps his fingers, and Jamie blinks twice and looks up. “You ok?”

Jamie gives a slow
shake of his head. “Brain is still in agony.”

“
Bloody-nose-syndrome?”

“
Nearly
terminal.”

Mark lets the silence
hang for a moment.

“
Do
you want to talk about it?”

“
About
what?” Jamie still isn't looking up at him.

“
You
saw us all die right?” Mark winces as Jamie nods. “That's some heavy shit,
man.”

“
I
almost joined you,” he whispers. “I don't know if I can do that again – turn
time back. It nearly killed me. I reckon the only reason I pulled it off was
because I didn't really care if I died at that point.”

“
Well,
let's just try not to get into a situation where you
have
to.”

“
Yeah.”
Jamie gives himself a shake. “It's just – y'know, I stopped it from happening.
But it still
happened
to me. I know it didn't happen, but it
did
happen.
You all died. Now I'm wondering what the hell we're going to do. How do you
stop a man who can't be killed?”

“
I
have an idea or two,” says Mark, keeping his voice low.

“
You
do?”

“
Yeah.
But I'm not sure if I'm up to it.”

“
Physically?”

“
Well
that too. Mostly, I'm not sure if I
can
do it to the King.”

“
Why,
what are you thinking of doing?”

“
Well,
I'd rather not say in case it turns out to be a dud idea -”

“
Whisper
it to me.”

Mark looks around,
shrugs, and leans in, whispering his idea to Jamie.

“
Jesus,”
breathes Jamie. “That's horrible.”

“
I
know. I don't know if I can justify doing that to anybody – even the King.”

“
Could
you
do it? I mean, physically, are you capable of that?”

“
I
think so, if I push hard enough.”

“
I
thought you couldn't fly.”

“
The
Protector said I could. I've
floated
a bit before. I think I just need
to practice.”

“
Or
get really drunk.”

“
Yeah,”
he laughs.

“
Man,
I still don't know, you could die doing that.”

“
If
it means that Earth gets to continue on its own path without the King, then
it'd be worth it.”

The two stare at each
other.

“
Well,
it's one way of stopping him, I guess.”

“
I
think I need to speak to him.”

“
What,
the King?”

“
Yeah.
If there's any chance that I can avoid going through with it, then I will.”

“
Just
don't let it come to a fight.”

“
Why
not -” begins Mark, and stops as he sees the look in Jamie's eyes. “Oh. He
killed me, right?”

“
Broke
your neck on live TV.”

Mark sighs, shaking his
head.

“
I
have to try. He deserves the same chance as everyone else.”

“
And
that,” says Jamie, “is the difference between you and I.”

“
Yeah,
you'd just shoot him in the head if you could.”

Jamie scowls. “Too
soon, Mark. Too soon.”

“
Hey,
that lieutenant guy threw paralysing poisonous gas in my face and blew up the
Gardens on top of me. I don't think the world is a worse place without him.”

“
Advocating
murder now? I thought you were the superhero out of us both?”

“
Until
we have prison cells that can hold superhumans, I'm willing to compromise.”