BooksBarbecue
Back The Enemy Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. Table of Contents
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68

“Wasn’t right,” said Blue. “Grown-ups don’t usually act like that. Clubbing together. They was an army. I’ve not seen that before.”

“You still think that the park is the best way to go?” said Jester.

“Yeah,” said Blue. “It’s wide open—we can see anything that’s coming. Grown-ups don’t like wide-open spaces. I was thinking we could even set up camp for the night. Post sentries around the edges. Let the little ones rest.”

“They’ve rested enough,” said Jester. “We were hours in Camden waiting for Arran to die.”

“That’s cold, man,” said Blue. “What do you think we should have done? Finished him off ourselves?”

“Of course not,” said Jester. “But it was obvious he was going to die.”

“We did what we did, man,” said Blue. “Couldn’t have done it no other way.”

“I know,” said Jester. “And I think it was good the way you took control. I think you should take overall charge.”

“What do you mean?” Blue turned to Jester but couldn’t clearly see his features in the dark.

“We don’t need two leaders,” said Jester. “Maxie can look after the little kids. She’s a girl. She fell apart when Arran died.”

“We’ll see,” said Blue. “The Waitrose crew ain’t necessarily gonna accept me as their boss. We need Maxie.”

“Maybe.”

“And what about when we get there?” said Blue.

“How do you mean?”

“Presumably you got someone in charge at the palace.”

“Yeah ...”

“So what happens? Eh? I just sit down and do what I’m told?”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Jester. “We’ll work something out.”

“Yeah,” said Blue. “We will.”

24

They crossed the road at the top of Parkway and entered Regent’s Park by Gloucester Gate.

The park had changed. The flower beds were overgrown. The short, well-kept grass was now waist high and tangled with weeds and wildflowers. Here and there young saplings pushed up through the undergrowth. Only a few inches tall now, but in time this would become a forest.

There was a playground near the gate. A relic from a forgotten age. And the little kids stared at it in wonder as they passed. Maxie gave Godzilla back to Joel and went to relieve Josh and join her team on the right flank.

Josh walked up front where Jester and the others were discussing the best route to take.

“Best stick to the path, I reckon,” said Blue. “It’ll be clearer and we’ll have a better view. Who knows what might be hiding in the long grass.”

“Like those raptors in Jurassic Park,” Josh chipped in.

“There’s a lot of things out to get us in London these days,” said Blue, laughing. “But dinosaurs ain’t one of them.”

“You never know,” said Josh. “The world’s turned upside down. I wouldn’t be surprised. Nothing surprises me anymore.”

“Don’t be scared of no dinosaurs,” said Blue.