Burke & the Wolves

chapter I

They were running late. Not just a little late… very late. But Burke couldn’t say or do anything about it. He was just supposed to be an observer. He had been allowed to come along only because he was Daka’s friend.

So he just sat there and observed. The streets were empty. As most streets were in Poison Bay this time of the night. Honest, straight living people knew better. He was sitting crouched uncomfortably in the edge of a little alley. With four other men, uncomfortably close. They were all huddled together in a tiny piece of shadow that gave them a degree of invisibility. But at the same time allowed them to look outside – at the streets, and their target. To his right was the young kid. Jimmy, Jammy… what was his name? He could see the nervousness in his face. Sweat running down his bony face in steady little streams. But his lower jaw moved almost constantly. He was shivering. His hands gone completely white. Drained of blood because he had been clutching the gun so hard. He shifted uncomfortably to keep the circulation going and caught Burke looking at him.

“What ?”, he spat out.

Burke immediately looked away. There were three others somewhere behind him. He didn’t remember the names. But they were all young and fresh faced. Burke didn’t dare turn around to look at them. But the rapid breathing and the sound of constant rustling coming from behind him told Burke that they were nervous too. Probably didn’t look much different from Jimmy or Jammy. Burke didn’t like it. Nervous young men with guns and bombs unsettled him. It was the waiting. That’s what was making them edgy. Daka and Manuel had been gone for over 15 minutes now. This was mismanaged. It was a bad plan. But sometimes even the worst plans worked if you pulled them off quickly and stupidly enough. But they didn’t even have that.

Burke had a bad feeling about this.

At that moment they saw a solitary man in a jacket walking down the streets. The safeties on the guns went off with a click. The man quickly ducked into the alley.

“Easy. It’s me”. It was Daka. “We’re all set. As soon as I blow it, Manny’s going to bring in the truck. Now I want everybody to stay down. No unnecessary shots. Save your ammo. We wait until Mr. Baine makes it out. He should be out in a minute. He knows we’re getting him. He’ll be ready. Hopefully the Pigs will still be too confused. But if any Pig comes out while Mr. Baine is making a run for it, fire at will. Johno, Woolly you have the smokers. Use them if you must. Remember, our prime concern is to cover Mr. Baine and get him to safety. Now. Hoods everybody.”

Everybody nodded. They pulled out gas masks and put them on. Burke didn’t have one.

“Ready?” asked Daka. He pulled out a tiny black box with an antenna on it. He nodded his head and pushed the button.

The explosion almost knocked Burke off his feet. The shockwaves rocked the old stone building to its core. The windows shattered, spitting out glass in every direction.