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Back Angels of Vengeance
Chapters (68)
  1. Blurb
  2. CONTENTS
  3. Dedication
  4. CHARACTER LIST
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. TWO MONTHS LATER
  60. ONE YEAR LATER
  61. TWO YEARS LATER
  62. FOUR YEARS LATER
  63. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  64. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  65. Also by John Birmingham
  66. ALSO BY JOHN BIRMINGHAM
  67. Copyright
  68. Cover

‘This station,’ he continued, waving the hat around, ‘indeed, all of the new police stations built in Darwin since it was given free-port status by the federal government – seven of them, in total – they were all built and funded, and remain funded, by the FPDA. The Free Port Development Authority. The lawful chain of command runs back to the minister in Parliament, but the FPDA controls the purse strings, and with them the parameters within which the officers in this station must operate. The Free Port Development Authority, of course, although established by an Act of Parliament, is a self-funded corporatised entity. That funding is levied from the commercial sector of the city.’

And with that, he fell silent, staring at Jules, his features lit with the merest trace of a smile that would have done credit to Shah for its ambivalence. As for the Gurkha veteran, he leaned forward and spoke for the first time since they’d entered the police station. His voice was much softer than Downing’s.

‘Things in this city are not always as they should be, or even as they appear,’ he said.

Downing leaned forward too, thus forming a quiet conclave over the expensive glass coffee table. Jules began to wonder just how expensive.

‘I need you to understand, Ms Balwyn, that power in this city is a fickle beast. The men we will talk to are agents of the state. But the state is not a unitary concept here. The Wave, everything that has come after it, smashed all that, washed it away. Given the nature of your recent tribulations, you must always bear this in mind. Power is not settled here. It is restless and seething and often wont to turn back on itself.’

The lawyer’s voice was so soft now that Jules found herself drawn forward until his face seemed mere inches from hers. Close enough so that she could see where he had missed a spot while shaving that morning.

‘This is the new world,’ said Downing. ‘Born of chaos and madness. Remember that, if nothing else.’

Before she could reply, a door opened to her left, next to the reception counter, and a large, immaculately dressed man in a business suit stood looking at her.

‘Detective Palmer!’ boomed Piers Downing. ‘Always a pleasure.’

27

NORTH KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI

For the purposes of her first special clearance mission within the borders of the United States, Caitlin Monroe became Colonel Katherine Murdoch, USAF (Reserve), special advisor to the White House Chief of Staff on military liaison with the Texas Defense Force. The TDF was what happened when perfectly good National Guardsmen fell under the control of a disgraced former general with a Caesar complex and robust levels of popular support – or populist support, Caitlin corrected herself – among a significant minority of a traumatised, deeply riven survivor population.