“Cripes, don’t spread that idea. He’ll be in permanent hiding or too knackered to spank any scroats that need it.” Liz turned towards the door, then chuckled. “I’m not going to tell anyone, not until after Valentine’s. There’s a book on if you pair end up walking home together, and where you end up. I’ll make a killing.” Fergie and Harold watched her go, both wearing big smiles.
“Ow.”
“You said to strike while my opponent is distracted.”
Harold shook his head. “I’m not sure you need any lessons for that.” They both set themselves, wooden machetes and sticks poised. “Ready?”
* * *
Doll wasn’t up to machete practice yet, but she felt much better by Valentine’s. Doll insisted on coming to the dance, wearing her Stetson and boots, but bowed out of any competition this time. The Barbie doc had warned her to take it easy because although Doll’s lung had healed well enough to be up and about, she hadn’t to strain it yet. Lenny blushed when Doll announced that the first time she strained herself, he would be the lucky boy. Then he had to suffer the teasing when Doll explained she only meant a dance, though if the dance went well?
Liz wore a big smile when Stewart Baumber walked Fergie home because the fifty-eight-year-old ex-caretaker would definitely be a safe escort. Harold walked Louise to her home, not Fergie’s. By now everyone had worked out that men didn’t float Louise’s boat, but at least one Barbie Girl did. Though how the quiet thirty-one-year-old graphics designer had managed to land the exotic, flamboyant Chandra, or the other way round, kept speculation alive. The gossip radar did go on alert when Celine agreed to Roy walking her home. Celine swore Roy wasn’t in any danger, or not until her skirt hem strayed a lot higher, at least above her knees.
Somehow having Doll back, teasing at least one man, cheered everyone up. They had felt better after the General had his nose bloodied, the high spirits persisting through January even while the food at the marts grew less and less. The new refugees were particularly happy about the number of Bloods who died. The newcomers were rapidly being absorbed, and had already been infected with the cripes. Now some were experimenting with all and any gods, dressing up and competing at the dances, or finding new gnome names for their new hats. A few joined in learning new ways of using a machete, and how an iron bar could make them much more dangerous.
The proof that their fighters really were dangerous meant many residents began to feel more secure. The neighbours were finally starting to treat Orchard Close as a true enclave, a force to be reckoned with. Some of the guards on the gate even started to swagger, just a bit in front of the visitors. Harold suggested stopping them, but his advisors reckoned the gangsters expected that from real fighters and would actually respect Orchard Close more. Harold knew hand-to-hand would be much worse than defending from cover, and concentrated on making sure the fighters could back their swagger up if the worst happened. The rest were enjoying the peace, but Soldier Boy didn’t expect that to last.
CHARACTERS IN BRANCHING OUT
ORCHARD CLOSE ENCLAVE
Harold (Harry) Miller - 22 - ex Corporal pay clerk with CGC Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.
Abigail - 24 - refugee from the north
Alfie - 17 - Probable orphan since his Mum disappeared. Living with Betty.
Alicia - 23 - Small dumpy woman from the original flats.
Barry - 63 - Ex firefighter - ran from Geeks with granddaughters - designs bombs
Bernie - 28 - original resident - Bomb maker (under instruction)
Berry - 18 - daughter of Nigel. Taller, stronger, and also a brewer.
Bess - 21 - Ex- girlfriend of gangster, now Matthew’s gartered wench
Betty - 61 - Oldest woman - an original resident
Billy - 18 - original resident of flats
Casper - 22 - big well-muscled gay man who becomes Harry’s friend
Celine - 27 - from burned flats - slim redhead. Shy - rape victim.
Christopher - 29 - refugee from north - Gnome on the Range
Conn - 24 - short slim man, prematurely bald
Curtis - 26 - original from flats, short and stout, amateur gardener
Daisy - 6 - Harold’s niece
Doll - Dolly - 21 - Barry’s eldest grand daughter
Elizabeth - 36 - from north - Pricilla’s mum
Emmy - 23 - Jamaican - tall, well-built woman, from burned flats, Curtis’ gartered wench
Faith - 37 - short, stout, light brown hair. Her son Toby died defending Orchard Close
Finn - 50 - Electrician, original from flats
Gayle - 20 - Dental trainee and now Orchard Close anaesthetist
Georgina - 9 - Zach and Olive’s daughter
Hazel - 16 - orphan, from burned flats
Hilda - 43 - ex clerical worker, loves collating lists, original from flats
Isiah - 36 - reclusive - redundant telephone engineer, original from flats
Janine - 36 - Laundry assistant.
Jeremy - 20- from north
Jilli - 14 - Jillian - bought in trade
Joey - 8 - Pippa and Robert’s son
John’s Pat - 37 - from north - Philip’s mum
June - 39 - looks early twenties at first - ex-trophy wife.
Kerry - 34 - Shy - Isiah’s wife - seamstress and sold embroidery, original from flats
Lenny - 27 - Nearly qualified paramedic
Lillian - 21 - tall overweight woman who moves in with Conn
Liz - 23 - 5’ 11”, arts and crafts in iron and bronze - now the smith, original from flats
Louie - 20 - Fleeing from north
Louise - 31 - quiet - small time graphic designer on internet, original from flats
Matthew - 26 - red haired ex Traffic Warden.
Matti - Matracia - 19 - Barry’s younger granddaughter.
Nigel - 43 - brewer, widower
Olive - 31 - part-time cleaner - Zach’s wife, Georgina’s Mum, original from flats
Patricia Elliot - 28 - Trainee nurse. From burned flats
Pat’s John - 38 - from north
Patty - 26 - demon knitter who wants to have a crossbow
Phillip - 19 - from north - John’s Pat’s son - No Place like Gnome
Pippa - 27 - Genius baker
Pricilla - 13 - from north - Elizabeth’s daughter
Rob - 38 - divorced - Short and portly Plumber, original from flats
Robert - 28 - Pippa’s husband
Rory - 3 - Abigail’s son
Sal - 28 - blonde woman - original resident
Seth - 24 - trainee brewer - original resident
Sharyn - 27 - Harold’s sister - widowed
Stewart Baumber - 58 - caretaker, original from flats.
Sukie - 6 - Suzie’s daughter.
Susan - 33 - divorcee, original from flats
Suzie - 23 - Sukie’s single Mum - her sister died in fighting - Asian
Tim - 24 - Refugee with nothing but his fiancée, Toyah
Toyah - 21 - Refugee with nothing but Tim
Umeko - 18 - Asian girl rescued from Geeks brothel
Veronica - 16 - quiet - daughter of Isiah and Kerry
Violet - Abigail’s baby girl
Wills - 4 - Harold’s nephew
Zach - 34 - ex-office manager, original from flats
94 residents - January Year 3
Bethany - 21 - Gnome Sweet Gnome
Charlie - 32 - home appliance (washing machine) repair man. refugee from General
Chris - 28 - fighter with Roy, refugee from General
Theo - fighter with Roy, refugee from General
Fergie - 20 - From ? - Wants to learn to fight - joins knicker competition
George - 43 - rabbit breeder. Maryam’s hubby - refugee from General
Maryam - 41 - rabbit breeder. George’s wife - refugee from General
Max - fighter refugee from General
Nathan - fighter refugee from General
Rabbit Bob - 35 - Rabbit breeder with buck Rocket Man - refugee from
General
Roy - 31 - fighter who has already been driven from his home by the General - twice
Stu - 28 - fighter with Roy, refugee from General
Tilly - 18 - refugee from ? - ‘Omeless Gnome-lass’
Wade - 23 - refugee from? - amateur carpenter
William - 27 - amateur mechanic - refugee from General
46 arrivals fleeing General, including Roy’s five, and four escaped fighters
22 other refugees
Less two dead and Curtis
159 residents - March Year 4
1 acre and can theoretically feed 8 people if the meat is from elsewhere. Potatoes are a very good crop - food value vs space
Orchard Close fields are now 51 acres. More acres to be added at each end, plus all the gardens inside the walls. Will grow enough for at least 200 despite being inefficient.
OTHERS
The Bunker – UK cell of global cabal
Owen - Chairman
Boris – small slim dark-haired man - Foreign Office
Faraz – RAF liaison
Gerard - Youngest of the dozen cabal leaders - transport incl. distribution of food
Grace - tall spare grey-haired aristocratic woman dealing with work camps
Henry - Portly man with thick black hair and beard in charge of farms
Irina - slightly obese woman with short black hair. Ex prison officer, in charge of brothels
Ivy - Stout middle-aged redhead in charge of food preparation and sale
Joshua - Army liaison. Spare, balding man
Keris – Falklands operation
Maurice – Spymaster. Bland, unassuming, mousy-haired and medium size and build.
Vanna - tall Asian woman dealing with special facilities and private military forces
Victor – Navy liaison
IN THE CITY
Hot Rods – ex car thieves - gang to the south of Orchard Close - wear overalls as uniform
Cadillac - gang boss
Big Mac - 7 foot bodyguard - named after trucks
Bugatti - senior gang member
Cooper - short for Mini Cooper - second in command
Charger - senior gang member
Chevy - senior gang member
Dodge - senior gang member
E-Type - senior gang member
Porsche - senior gang member
Samuel - man with shotgun, loses a finger when Harold shoots him
Mercedes - only female who is a gang member with car name
GOFS - Gods of Fire and Steel - gang to the west
Gofannon - gang boss, has a genuine pre-Crash sword
Vulcan - senior gang member - warchief
Wayland - gang blacksmith
Hephaestus - Heff - senior gang member
Ogou - senior gang member
Cy – Gofs soldier
Geek Freeks - ex- shop assistants - gang to the north – wear smocks with name badges
Hawkins - gang boss - senior manager
Darwin - manager - (senior gang member) Amateur gardener
Einstein - manager - collects rents and women
Galileo - manager - builds crossbows and other weapons
Marconi - manager, builds field telephone and repairs some radios
Nobel - manager - chemistry student
Tell - aka William Tell - gang bowyer & archer
Wellington - manager - warchief
Ly Thien or Thien - young Vietnamese woman now Wellington’s companion
Mathias - Geek soldier
Barbie Girls - all-female gang beyond GOFS - based in ‘Beth’s’ shopping mall, leaders wear blonde wigs and are named after dolls
Malibu - Senior Barbie leader wears twinset and pearls, and a machete
Christie - Senior Barbie leader - African ethnicity
Ken - Senior Barbie leader - Large and dresses as a man - warchief
Chandra - Asian Barbie in ‘dress’ slit right up both sides
Splash - Staffy X sold to a Barbie
Ferdinands - based in American Football stadium - heavily influenced by Mad Max films
Bull - leader - overweight - a bad look with skin tight pants.
Snoop - coach (lieutenant) - big muscular black youth
Slash - coach
Trainspotters - border the city centre exclusion zone. Wear anoraks
Franco - leader with red dreadlocks
Bloodsuckers - Bloods - Mixed race gang, notoriously savage assault fighters for General.
The General - Leader - champion strategic games player
Patton - bosses the bloodsuckers, the Bloods
MIB - Men in Black - Ex city trader trainees. Wear black suits and shades. Near city centre
Branson - Leader
Jones - senior MiB
Scrooge - senior MiB
Professors - mixed race and mixed sex leaders - allegedly from University
Prof - Leader - old professor in a suit and robe
Celeste - Dance teacher
Bargees - have steel houseboats - surrounded by old canals. Sell fish
Skipper - gang leader
Smiley - senior member
Goldie - fighter
SIMs - mixed sex commune, - use wicked short-range rockets keep others at bay.
Bert, Julie, Maisie and Stevie - fighters
Baggies - ex-football fans. wear black and white stripes. Based south of TesdaMart
Boing - leader
Throstle - a senior gang member
Murphies - wear a shamrock - gang west of Caddi
Paddy - leader
Precinct 19 - enclave led by ex-police - West of M5 Motorway - use shortened ID numbers
Sarge - No. 33 - retired police sergeant - now the leader
Sergeant Koos - No. 15 - senior fighter, ex police firearms squad
David - No. 613 - constable leading a squad of ten
Javed - No. 229 - constable leading a squad of ten
Simeon - No. 814 - constable leading a squad of ten
Benny - No. 518 - marksman
Samuel - No. 277 - marksman
Sue - Sarge’s granddaughter
Sinners - London gang controlling school playing fields, based in a library
Sinner - gang leader
Nita - senior gang member
Preacher - leads nearby enclave
Kermit - leads nearby gang
Imam - Zaid - leads nearby enclave
Hans - leads nearby gang
This ends Book Three of
The Fall of the Cities.
Find out what happens next!
Book 4
A Mercedes for Soldier Boy
will be available soon!
VANCE HUXLEY
Vance Huxley lives out in the countryside in Lincolnshire, England. He has spent a busy life working in many different fields – including the building and rail industries, as a workshop manager, trouble-shooter for an engineering firm, accountancy, cafe proprietor, and graphic artist. He also spent time in other jobs, and is proud of never being dismissed, and only once made redundant.
Eventually he found his Noeline, but unfortunately she died much too young. To help with the aftermath, Vance tried writing though without any real structure. As an editor and beta readers explained the difference between words and books, he tried again.
Now he tries to type as often as possible in spite of the assistance of his cats, since his legs no longer work well enough to allow anything more strenuous. An avid reader of sci-fi, fantasy and adventure novels, his writing tends towards those genres.
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