by Jules Reynolds and Nigel G. Mitchell
The brick wall Quinn slammed into would've broken his nose if he hadn't pulled his head back at the last second. Instead, he hit his chest and fell over on dusty ground. He stood up and rubbed his arm, looking around a long and narrow alleyway. A thick darkness hung over the area making it difficult to see for more than a few feet, and a pungent smell of trash and smoke stung his nostrils. It was so dark that he thought he was underground, but when he looked up, he saw a hint of gray and boiling clouds at the peaks of massive towers all around them.
"Everyone okay?" he asked.
As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he spotted Wade straightening herself and her jewelry out. Behind her, Arturo helped Rembrandt to his feet.
"Yes, my boy," Arturo said, "I do believe that on this occasion, Mister Brown did not kick me in the back."
Rembrandt grinned. "Yeah, and for once you're not complainin' about it. Makes a nice change."
Wade wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Geez, this alley stinks!"
"Yeah, it's pretty dark too. Let's move somewhere that's better lit, guys." Quinn headed for the mouth of the alley that was slightly brighter.
He didn't take more than a couple of feet before he tripped on something on the ground. He lurched forwards to crash onto the ground nearby.
"What the...?" he exclaimed and moved his hands across the rough, dirty ground to feel the obstacle and move it out of the way.
He could make out a bundle of what looked like rags in his way. He took hold of it with both hands and heaved hard, flipping the rags over.
Wade covered her mouth and turned to the alley wall.
The "bundle" was the very thin body of a young man with dirty, ragged clothing.
"I suggest that we leave this area, Mister Mallory," said Arturo. "It's obvious that we cannot do anything for this poor wretch. I do not think that remaining here will serve any useful purpose."
Arturo took Wade's arm firmly, and guided her past the body and into the mouth of the alleyway.
Quinn looked reluctantly at the body. "Sorry to see such a young life should end like this."
"Looks like this ain't gonna be paradise, man." Remmy moved with Quinn to join the others.
Quinn nodded numbly.
The alleyway opened onto a wider street that had a little more light. It seemed fairly deserted, although several shapes moved slowly across on the other side. The nearer the shapes came to the group, the easier it was to see that they were poorly dressed, moving like frightened animals to avoid contact with others. Fires burned in trash cans while buildings stretched high into the clouds and beyond.
As the group stood contemplating the darkness and wondering which way to go, the sky suddenly filled with light and sound.
Shafts of light lit up the street in which they found themselves. Sounds of people screaming assaulted their ears, as a large mob appeared at one end of the street and made its way towards them.
Quinn gripped Wade's arm and pulled her in the other direction, Arturo and Rembrandt close on their heels.
Dark, blue and silver shapes swooped in from above them, accompanied by a throbbing roar.
"Helicopters! Police Helicopters!" Quinn shouted, trying to get his voice heard above the noise of the rotors and the screaming, baying mob which seemed to be heading right towards them. "Into this doorway, fast!"
He pushed Wade up against the closed door and pulled Rembrandt and Arturo in next to him.
The mob was discernible as individuals now. Hundreds of men and women running in the street in front of them, fighting with each other and with strange, stiff looking men in uniforms. The brilliant blue and silver of the uniforms contrasted strongly with the dull, colorless clothes the majority of the people were wearing.
Intermittently, gunfire rang out. Wade was sure she could hear individual screams after each burst of gunfire, and the dull thud as each time someone fell to the ground.
"We've got to get away from here, Mister Mallory," Arturo shouted above the noise.
Quinn nodded and looked for a way through the swarming masses.
To the left of the mob, the area was clearer. Quinn pointed and pulling Wade with him, ran towards the escape route.
The large and ugly sneer sat on a man's face as he rose suddenly in front of Quinn and put a hand out. The force shoved Quinn backwards.
As he sprawled on the ground and scrambled to his feet, he could see Arturo and Rembrandt had problems of their own. Some of the brute's friends were busy ensuring that any escape route was cut off for them as well.
Quinn heard the shot ring out. He watched in mute fascination and horror as his assailant lurched forwards towards him, his eyes rolling backwards into his head, a thin trickle of blood seeping from his mouth.
Quinn couldn't stop the man from falling. He couldn't get out of his way either. The force thrust his head backwards, and he felt the crack as it hit the ground below him. He tried to move, his head swimming, but the sheer body weight pinned him to the ground. His eyes roamed desperately for Wade.
"Wade!" He heard his voice, but it seemed to disappear into the cacophony of sound which rang around him.
"Quinn!" He heard her voice calling out to him, but from where?
He heard the whine of the helicopter rotor blade and saw her. The silver and blue metallic figure had her pinned within its grip as it walked steadily towards the helicopter. She struggled hard, kicking and punching as she was carried forwards. It seemed to have little effect on her captor.
As he watched the helicopter rise gracefully from the scene of devastation, and saw Wade's face pressed against the window, staring out at the scene below her, his heart sank.
The brick wall Quinn slammed into would've broken his nose if he hadn't pulled his head back at the last second. Instead, he hit his chest and fell over on dusty ground. He stood up and rubbed his arm, looking around a long and narrow alleyway. A thick darkness hung over the area making it difficult to see for more than a few feet, and a pungent smell of trash and smoke stung his nostrils. It was so dark that he thought he was underground, but when he looked up, he saw a hint of gray and boiling clouds at the peaks of massive towers all around them.
"Everyone okay?" he asked.
As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he spotted Wade straightening herself and her jewelry out. Behind her, Arturo helped Rembrandt to his feet.
"Yes, my boy," Arturo said, "I do believe that on this occasion, Mister Brown did not kick me in the back."
Rembrandt grinned. "Yeah, and for once you're not complainin' about it. Makes a nice change."
Wade wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Geez, this alley stinks!"
"Yeah, it's pretty dark too. Let's move somewhere that's better lit, guys." Quinn headed for the mouth of the alley that was slightly brighter.
He didn't take more than a couple of feet before he tripped on something on the ground. He lurched forwards to crash onto the ground nearby.
"What the...?" he exclaimed and moved his hands across the rough, dirty ground to feel the obstacle and move it out of the way.
He could make out a bundle of what looked like rags in his way. He took hold of it with both hands and heaved hard, flipping the rags over.
Wade covered her mouth and turned to the alley wall.
The "bundle" was the very thin body of a young man with dirty, ragged clothing.
"I suggest that we leave this area, Mister Mallory," said Arturo. "It's obvious that we cannot do anything for this poor wretch. I do not think that remaining here will serve any useful purpose."
Arturo took Wade's arm firmly, and guided her past the body and into the mouth of the alleyway.
Quinn looked reluctantly at the body. "Sorry to see such a young life should end like this."
"Looks like this ain't gonna be paradise, man." Remmy moved with Quinn to join the others.
Quinn nodded numbly.
The alleyway opened onto a wider street that had a little more light. It seemed fairly deserted, although several shapes moved slowly across on the other side. The nearer the shapes came to the group, the easier it was to see that they were poorly dressed, moving like frightened animals to avoid contact with others. Fires burned in trash cans while buildings stretched high into the clouds and beyond.
As the group stood contemplating the darkness and wondering which way to go, the sky suddenly filled with light and sound.
Shafts of light lit up the street in which they found themselves. Sounds of people screaming assaulted their ears, as a large mob appeared at one end of the street and made its way towards them.
Quinn gripped Wade's arm and pulled her in the other direction, Arturo and Rembrandt close on their heels.
Dark, blue and silver shapes swooped in from above them, accompanied by a throbbing roar.
"Helicopters! Police Helicopters!" Quinn shouted, trying to get his voice heard above the noise of the rotors and the screaming, baying mob which seemed to be heading right towards them. "Into this doorway, fast!"
He pushed Wade up against the closed door and pulled Rembrandt and Arturo in next to him.
The mob was discernible as individuals now. Hundreds of men and women running in the street in front of them, fighting with each other and with strange, stiff looking men in uniforms. The brilliant blue and silver of the uniforms contrasted strongly with the dull, colorless clothes the majority of the people were wearing.
Intermittently, gunfire rang out. Wade was sure she could hear individual screams after each burst of gunfire, and the dull thud as each time someone fell to the ground.
"We've got to get away from here, Mister Mallory," Arturo shouted above the noise.
Quinn nodded and looked for a way through the swarming masses.
To the left of the mob, the area was clearer. Quinn pointed and pulling Wade with him, ran towards the escape route.
The large and ugly sneer sat on a man's face as he rose suddenly in front of Quinn and put a hand out. The force shoved Quinn backwards.
As he sprawled on the ground and scrambled to his feet, he could see Arturo and Rembrandt had problems of their own. Some of the brute's friends were busy ensuring that any escape route was cut off for them as well.
Quinn heard the shot ring out. He watched in mute fascination and horror as his assailant lurched forwards towards him, his eyes rolling backwards into his head, a thin trickle of blood seeping from his mouth.
Quinn couldn't stop the man from falling. He couldn't get out of his way either. The force thrust his head backwards, and he felt the crack as it hit the ground below him. He tried to move, his head swimming, but the sheer body weight pinned him to the ground. His eyes roamed desperately for Wade.
"Wade!" He heard his voice, but it seemed to disappear into the cacophony of sound which rang around him.
"Quinn!" He heard her voice calling out to him, but from where?
He heard the whine of the helicopter rotor blade and saw her. The silver and blue metallic figure had her pinned within its grip as it walked steadily towards the helicopter. She struggled hard, kicking and punching as she was carried forwards. It seemed to have little effect on her captor.
As he watched the helicopter rise gracefully from the scene of devastation, and saw Wade's face pressed against the window, staring out at the scene below her, his heart sank.
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