The Uprising (The Julianna Rae Chronicles) (19 page)

Hensley’s hand was a relief as it pulled
her in and dragged her down the stairs in a maddening sprint. The door barricaded with an iron bar and everyone took their steps, two, three, and four at a time, rushing for their safety. Someone yelled
he’s dead
; another swore. They ran down the levels of stairs, heading for the tunnels.             

Julianna stopped behind Hensley on the fourth level to check the halls, slamming each door open, checking for people, checking specific rooms for maps. She waited at the stairs for the other Rebels to report the leve
l as clear. They ran past her. She counted them as they went, and noted only a few had lost their lives on the roof. Not all appeared so bad under her command.

But
smoke. I can smell it. Fire! The building’s on freaking fire!

The smoke rose with a thickness that choked everyone in its path. It poured out as she opened the door to the
stairs. The building was easing itself into a dark, billowing cloud of fumes and smoke that seeped through the stairwell from under the doors of the lower levels.

The lower they ran down the stairs, the more difficult the navigation. She checked on Hensley behind her, using his sleeve to cover his mouth and nose. The intense heat and smoke reached into her lungs and stung at her eyes.

‘It’s a trap,’ she tried to yell. No one heard her. It came out in a hoarse groan, following a deep and painful cough. She tried again. ‘It’s a trap! Everyone move to the tunnels. I’ll check the last floor.’

Hensley confirmed her order for the less convinced. ‘You heard the girl,’ he gasped. ‘Let’s take this bloody fight to the tunnels.’

The men following them ran past, skipping steps to reach their destination in an effort to beat the smoke issuing from the flames. Julianna rested her hand on the final door handle. It was warm under her fingertips, and smoke billowed from beneath the door. She looked back for Hensley’s opinion. He gently moved her hand to hover his over the handle, displaying his first act in front of her, as a watcher.

The door opened cautiously. The long corridors stretching on either side were full of black smoke. The intense heat suffocated them.

Hensley closed the door. The last echoes of feet running down the concrete steps disappeared. They were left standing in the stairwell, with smoke curling around them.

‘The fire will take what evidence is left, J Rae. We stay here much longer, we’ll be ash too,’ he said. ‘We need to go.’

Hensley started his descent and she followed, making sure she stayed close. The grey barrier of smoke between them thickened. She reached out in blindness for the back of his shirt, grabbing it in the darkness. He reached back and squeezed her hand in return.

The basement was clear, though the air was stale. Buckets
of water poured over copies of The Bulletin, shoved under the cracks of the doors. It blocked the smoke’s path, forcing it to rise toward the higher levels in the building, offering them time to empty the new weapons from the storage lockers, and to climb through the hole in the wall. 

She climbed in after Hensley, crawling along the narrow shaft, with the rifle clumsily getting in the way of her knees. The underground network was quiet
in front of them. The Rebels, looking panicked and disheveled, paced; some with maps bulked under their arms, others with their weapons drawn, on high alert. Julianna left the tunnel and studied them all.

‘What now?’ It was the obvious question. She wanted to ask it, before anyone prompted her with the million dollar
one. She had no answers.

Julianna studied ev
eryone massing in front of her. Hensley shrugged. He was at a loss, too.

‘I don’t know my way around these tunnels. Not well enough to fight.’

‘We stay here,’ Hensley said. ‘We pick up the fight, here,’ He looked around to the men. ‘We have an advantage in these tunnels.’

Men nodded. Their worried whispers travelled amongst their group. Hensley barked out orders to take positions and ready weapons for a fight, while Julianna listened in the background, to the explosions echoing through the hole they had just crawled through. A cloud of dust billowed through it. The ground quaked.
Everyone’s whispers died away to silence as the building they had left, collapsed.

She walked towards the tunnel leading out to the countryside. The chip in the wall
which Caden had focused his hand on, pointed her in its direction.

‘We can’t stay here,’ Julianna said. ‘They know our location. These tunnels could be crawling with Militia, we just don’
t know. Safest thing is to move and not sit around waiting for them to corner us in.’

‘How many battles have you fought in, Miss Rae? I’ve been in the Militia over seven years, the Rebellion for three
– what makes you so confident?’

‘I’m not forcing you, Hensley. Stay if you want. Those who want, come with me,’ she started walking past the broken brick. ‘Your choice.’

Hensley slung his rifle over his shoulder. ‘Not my choice. I made a promise to keep you within my sights. You’re the Seer after all,’ he shook his head, his eyes were annoyed. ‘You really are something, you know.’

‘I’ve been told that a lot lately. I’m just trying to stay alive in a tough situation.’

Hensley nodded, he reached for a loose cigarette tucked behind his ear and asked a crew member for a light. A lit match was offered from a soldier standing nearby. Hensley puffed out a curl of smoke that wisped between them.

‘Okay, you win,’ he looked around. ‘Fall in. You heard the Commander.’

‘I’m not a Commander,’ she said in distaste. ‘I don’t hold a rank.’

‘With all due respect,
if you’re shagging a Commanding Officer, then you’re probably in for a promotion if you survive this.’

‘He’s my brother.’

Hensley stopped in his tracks. The Rebels behind him almost knocked him over; digressing around to follow the tunnel.

‘I’ve seen the way he looks at you, J
Rae. The way he spoke in the mess hall. No brother looks at his sister like that. You may fool the General, no fooling ol’ Irish.’

‘Are we even talking about the same person?’ she started walking, checking her rifle over once and releasing the safety. Hensley followed, doing the same; keeping his weapon ready for an ambush. ‘Still getting used to the idea of Daniel without any interference from others.’

Hensley leaned into her. His voice stayed low. ‘Everyone knows Daniel’s your brother. Not who I’m talking about.’

They were in the middle of the group. She pushed her way past two soldiers.

Was he in the mess hall when they were having coffee? Must have been, getting something to eat perhaps.
She glanced at him, hoping the pout she gave conveyed angry, rather than cute.

Hensley halted. He raised a hand. Everyone stopped with their weapons ready; silent under his command. Water dripped into the drains, a slight breeze whistled through the tu
nnels. They waited in stillness.

A water rat ran past.

Julianna jumped back, holding the gun close to her chest with her finger on the trigger. Hensley looked at the others and walked forward, beside her.

‘I might say it’s been a long time since he looked at anyone the way he does you
, and then there’s the old-fashioned rumor mill.’

She stepped over the large puddles randomly scattered in her path, checking into the dark
ness behind her. She listened for noises lurking under the water and the breeze, while Hensley chatted away.

‘It’s all over the papers, so to speak,’ his Irish accent was thick. ‘The two of you going after his brother this morning, it’s obvious. He’d never take a girl otherwise.’

She nodded. ‘Madison? There’s nothing between us.’

Hensley’s cheeky smile showed a full set of white teeth under
the black curls framing his face. ‘Your eyes just sparkled.’ He teased and gave her a friendly nudge. ‘He’s a real prick you know, love? Not the type to take home to mother.’

‘I know what he is. Likes to keep his secrets,’ her heart sank for
Caden. She felt sick.

‘And plenty he has too,’ Hensley agreed. ‘Been arou
nd a long time. Seen things and done some things too. But I’m sure you know all this. From the family you come from, you have to know.’ He leaned in to her. ‘When he shows up, I’d be careful if I were you – and I’m speaking about an old friend, but he is who he is. No changing him.’

‘Like I said, Taris arrested him,’ but she didn’t know
if that was the truth for sure
.
‘Anyway, shouldn’t talk about someone who isn’t here to defend himself.’

They continued their walk in silence, pushing the shallow water around their ankles as they walked deeper into the labyrinth of tunnels. She
hoped they were moving in the right direction.

Hensley fell back to speak with one of his squad, and though the friendly banter continued, they were all on edge. Walking quietly in the tunnels was far from an easy escape.
There were too many corners and holes to hide in, too many unfamiliars, too many noises to consider. Everyone had their guns ready and their combat knives within reach.

How would Caden do this? I’m no leader
.

The thought of leading everyone to their death made her cringe. The feeling sat heavily in the pit of her stomach, refusing to leave her soul, for any pleading she did. Anger rose, he had no right doing this to her. He had no business jumping down as a diversion. She was on her
way
,
he didn’t need to do it. She didn’t
need
saving again.

Damn it
,
don’t need this bullshit.

And as quickly as the anger rose, it subsided. She couldn’t stay angry with
Caden, not for everything he had done – appointed watcher, or not. He was doing his job and trying to protect her. She was the Seer after all, for whatever meaning that held. She slowed her pace, and a hand tapped her on the shoulder. Hensley put a finger to his lips and pointed his hand. The others were hard up against the walls.

Hensley moved her against the wall. Then she heard what his watcher ears had picked up; the unmistakable sounds of water swirling around a group of legs, in the distance. The tunnels carried the sound we
ll into their motionless group. The resonance grew, and then it stopped. Hensley held his hand up high above the crowds in a request for complete silence. The water trickled. The light wind found them again with the few light breaths of anxious soldiers, fumbling for weapons. They stopped, and as Hensley heard the bullet coming toward them, Julianna yelled.

It went straight through the palm of his hand.

6th May, 2018, 1100 hours.

The Tunnels, underneath Sector #3

Hensley healed himself as the fighting broke out. The bullets ricocheted through the winding areas of the tunnels while Rebels ran after Militia, and Militia cut then down in turn. They were losing more men than they could count. The fight was quick and relentless, with squad after squad, marching in for a ruthless attack.

Julianna crouched behind a corner wall, with her empty rifle in her lap, waiting for opportunity. Hensley watched her from his corner, and they made hand signals for what they saw and heard. The Militia had suffered as many casualties, but they were better prepared
– armed with endless ammunition, and the fear of Taris driving them.

The last Rebel fell. Hensley gestured for silence with a finger to his lips. She watched the water flow past her in stripes of red, under the dull light from her rifle’s laser. She flicked it off, hoping it wasn’t in vain. Hoping her last-minute neglect wouldn’t land her in pain. She drew a sharp breath. The sound of footsteps fell heavily into the water around them.

The fighting stopped. The Militia were on the prowl for survivors. They searched and hunted as quietly as the flowing water and tunnel acoustics allowed – and she knew who for.

Julianna sunk into the shadows, clutching her rifle in one hand, and knife in the other, waiting for the moment of detection. She was concealed, but wondered how long they could last, with a fifty-strong Militia cornering them.

More footsteps splashed about from both ends of the tunnel. She shook her head to Hensley, mouthing the words
more,
and questioning him on their helplessness, with a shrug of her shoulders. He shrugged back, at a loss, or in defeat; in his corner, balancing against the rifle he held between both hands, to consider their situation. They were closing in. Everyone against the two of them.

Silence followed.

The mist from her last exhale hung on the air before dropping. She closed her mouth and closed her eyes, waiting for her capture. Waiting for death.

C
haotic yelling took over the silence.

Take cover! Get down! S
harp shooters!

She turned her head into the direction
of the icy wind, breaking apart for the rounds to travel through. They came from the west end, directly to her front, but not one was aimed in her path.

The sound of rifles shot solitary bullets into the heads of Militia with a dull thwart. It was
a planned attack. The Rebels approached in formation, aiming their weapons against the Militia, moving in from both sides to corner them.

Julianna crouched and cradled her head in her arms, close to her knees. More bodies fell where she hid; and
when she dared to peer through her shaking fingers, a Militia officer fell heavily across her course, clutching his fully loaded rifle. He stared at her, bleeding to his death, trying to speak. She snatched the rifle and checked it for rounds.

Four left, shit!
 

Hensley returned to the fight. She didn’t see where the extra support came from, but she saw who led them.

Daniel fought hand-to-hand with a tall, strong Militia Lieutenant. The Lieutenant connected his swinging fist into Daniel, sending him face-first into the water. The Lieutenant jumped on his back and held him under the tide of flowing water. Chunks of dead body coursed past them, in its rip. Daniel’s fight weakened, his legs stopped kicking, and his body wilted under the struggle.

Julianna whistled. With her new rifle’s sights focused, she held Daniel’s would-be-assassin in range. He looked up for her call. The intense demand from the watcher to lower her gun raced through her
body. She allowed him the courtesy of disbelief and took a step closer, her finger twitching before pulling the trigger. The bullet splayed the bridge of his nose, sending his body sprawling over Daniel.

She kicked the dead weight away.

Daniel gasped for breath. He shook his head and doubled over to cough the water from his lungs.

‘Where’s Caden?’ she asked, helping him to his feet.

The fighting had stopped. The last Militia was cut down from the band of new soldiers, under Hensley’s direction. The stench of blood rose slowly. It flowed with the water she stood in, waiting for Daniel’s recovery. She needed the distraction from the mess encircling them. 

‘He’s having his own battle at the Summit.’ Daniel threw water up, at her feet.

She stepped back. ‘He’s okay?’

Daniel nodded. ‘Hurt badly. Wouldn’t let me help him though, stubborn prick.’

‘But he’s okay?’ 

‘We need to move before the next wave of attacks. We can regroup in Sector One,’ he nodded in the direction he had come. ‘This way.’

*    *    *

Julianna walked between Hensley and Daniel.
Sore and exhausted from the fighting, the one-hour walk towards Sector One turned into something longer. Daniel stopped. His command of men flowed around them on auto-pilot and in shock.

‘Paranoia maybe, but I think we’re being followed,’
Daniel whispered.

‘Last time you said that—
’

Thwack!

Hensley jutted forward. Julianna and Daniel, with their troops, watched as he grasped his stomach. Blood welled into his mouth, overflowing his bottom lip. His eyes widened with the pain from the hole bored into his lower back, tearing through his belly. He collapsed to his knees.

‘Sorry, love,’ he whispered.

Julianna rushed to his side, taking him into her arms as she knelt in the water. Hensley stared up at her with lifeless, black eyes.

‘No,’ she whispered. ‘No, not you. Heal yourself,’ she whispered. ‘You have to heal yourself
again.’

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Daniel’s gun jolted Julianna. The sound of a body hitting the hard ground, stole her attention from Hensley’s dark gaze.

‘Damn it, Julianna! They were lining you up next. You need to be more careful!’ Daniel felt Hensley for a pulse. Julianna looked up at him as she cr
adled Hensley’s head in her lap for one last moment of comfort.

‘He’s gone, Julianna. He’s dead,’ Daniel’s voice was firm. ‘We need to keep moving.’

‘Ah, Commander Rae.’

Daniel glanced up. One of his back troops circled the Militia body, bending over, and then circling again. The sight bothered him.

‘Sir…’

‘We need to go,’ Daniel said quietly, and got to his feet to inspect the officer’s unease.

Julianna snatched the gold chain from Hensley’s neck. A forbidden crucifix swung from it. She pushed it into her pocket, away from the watcher’s prying eyes and away from Daniel.

‘Fucking Hell,’ Daniel whispered at the site of the body. ‘Fucking! Fucking! Hell!’

He crouched beside the body. She took a step forward, still feeling the chain in her hand.

Hensley was a Catholic.
Her mind dizzied at the crime in the name of her family.

Daniel spun around to his feet. ‘Julianna, no don’
t. We need to go. Time to fall out.’

She pushed past his hands trying to keep her back, trying to see what had upset him more than Hensley. She made no comment. In the water before them, lay the
body of a deathly still woman.

Julianna knelt down to brush away the long, red hair. It fell loose from beneath the cap the officer wore. She blinked in surprise, first at
the body, then at her brother who swung the gun by his side.

‘Caden needs us.’

She nodded.

Daniel called her again.

Fresh tears sprung into her eyes; she guessed all she needed to do now, was focus on staying alive. The woman before her looked peaceful. It wasn’t Daniel’s fault.

She said a quiet goodbye beneath her breath and noticed the swollen belly under the uniform. With the death of her mother, there seemed nothing more to say.

So much for the luck of the Irish.